Millswood Middle School principal Chris Harrold-Walters has been placed on paid administrative leave while Lodi police investigate an allegation involving a student. Lodi Unified School District officials say they learned of the active law enforcement investigation this week, and Harrold-Walters will stay off campus until officers wrap up their work.
Lodi police told KCRA that the investigation concerns an allegation that Harrold-Walters engaged in inappropriate communications with a student. The district said police notified it of the investigation on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, and that it has not received any further information about the allegations while the inquiry continues.
District Confirms Leave, Says Little Else
According to FOX40, Harrold-Walters was put on paid administrative leave, with the district saying the arrangement will remain in place until law enforcement completes its investigation. The station reported that the district said it has not received any information about the allegations against the middle school principal, a point that echoes what the district told KCRA about learning of the probe only this week.
Lodi police confirmed they are investigating an incident involving a Lodi Unified School District employee and said officers are working directly with the district as the case moves forward, per the same FOX40 report. The station's report adds that no arrests had been made in connection with the investigation at the time it published.
What Remains Unknown
Neither Lodi police nor Lodi Unified has released details about what communications are alleged to have taken place, and the district has said it simply does not yet have that information. It is also not known when the investigation will wrap up or what, if anything, it will find. Harrold-Walters, identified by the district as Millswood Middle School's principal, has not been arrested, and the case remains active.
