A Florida middle school principal was apprehended for shoplifting at a Walmart store in Winter Haven, Polk County, on a recent Saturday afternoon. Gregory Lewis, who serves as the principal of Bok Academy North, was caught in the act by an asset protection officer while he was using the self-checkout. Lewis was observed placing a bag of inexpensive foam plates between pricier items in an attempt to steal them while only paying for the cheaper items.
According to the arrest affidavit, Lewis was trying to steal a large pack of light bulbs, bacon, and frozen butterfly shrimp, with a total value of $37.45. During his arrest, Lewis confessed to the crime, explaining to a Winter Haven police officer that he had learned about the shoplifting technique from his friends and decided to give it a try.
The arrest, which was captured on a body camera worn by the arresting officer, recorded Lewis admitting, “We sit around talking, ‘Hey I did this.’ Let me try and see what I can get away with. I did something dumb today and I understand it.” Following his arrest, Lewis was processed into the Polk County Jail on a charge of petit theft.
In the aftermath of the incident, Alricky Smith, the interim superintendent of Lake Wales Charter Schools, announced that Lewis had been placed on administrative leave pending a review. Smith communicated to trustees in a letter, “At this time, I am unable to provide any comments on the next steps, as this matter is ongoing.”
The incident has raised concerns among educators in Polk County. Retired teacher James Barker expressed his disappointment to local media, stating that Lewis’s actions tarnish the reputation of all educators. Barker questioned the example set by a middle school principal caught stealing, asking, “He’s the principal of the school and now he’s been caught doing this, so what example does he set for the kids?”
Lewis has been serving as the principal at Bok Tower North since August 2024. This is not the first time a school principal has been caught trying to underpay for goods. In a similar incident last year, a principal in Japan was fired for using a self-service coffee machine at a convenience store and pouring himself a large-size coffee while only paying for a regular-size coffee. The principal was dismissed for “gross misconduct unbecoming of an educational public servant” and did not receive his retirement pay, estimated to be about $133,000.