Early Sunday morning, a routine traffic stop escalated to an arrest for Chenia Thate, a Lake Wales Charter school principal. The incident occurred near Ridgewood Lakes on U.S. Hwy 27 in Davenport when a Polk County deputy sheriff pulled over Thate's grey Nissan SUV due to her having a suspended license. During the stop, Thate, age 47 and Orlando resident, was informed by the deputy that the suspension was due to a lack of insurance, reported the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Despite claiming unawareness of the suspension, the deputy's check revealed an active warrant for Thate's arrest, connected to a failure to appear in court on previous charges related to maintaining insurance. Thate expressed to the deputy, having no recollection of signing a citation, the original citation was located by the deputy, confirming her signature on the criminal notice to appear paperwork. Subsequently, she was arrested for the outstanding warrant.
After the arrest, Thate posted a $250 bond and was released. Presently, she holds the position of principal at Hillcrest Elementary School in Lake Wales, a school under the Lake Wales Charter System. As the principal, her role naturally places her at the helm of not just administrative responsibilities but also as a beacon for the students' moral and ethical compass.
Commenting on the matter, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd remarked, "This is disappointing, to say the least. Someone in a position of authority over schoolchildren should be setting the example for honesty, morals, and ethics."
