Cahaba

After all, she was workplace-close with Wesley Smith, the custodian at Cahaba Heights Elementary School, in this affluent suburb of Birmingham.

“The entire situation has divided the community,” said Abbey Skipper, a parent at Cahaba Heights Elementary.

A private Facebook group, “We Stand With Lauren” quickly gathered 983 members, while a public Facebook post by a fifth grade teacher at Cahaba Heights complained of the “news frenzy and whirlwind of social media misinformation” and stated that, “We Stand for Our Superintendent, Our District Office, Our Board, and our new principal, Kim Polson.”

She moved into administration and advanced; in 2022 she was appointed principal of Cahaba Heights Elementary School.

She had not spoken publicly since she was escorted out of Cahaba Heights Elementary in February.