Murphy principal put on leave without pay during indecent liberties investigation

MURPHY - The Murphy High School principal charged with taking indecent liberties with a student has been put on administrative leave without pay, school officials said.

Thomas Graham was arrested Feb. 8 on two charges of indecent liberties with a student, said Cherokee County Sheriff's Office detective R.L. Williams. He initially was placed on administrative leave with pay.

The arrest came after complaints about Graham's behavior in January and February 2016 were reported to the sheriff's office, Williams said, adding Graham is under investigation by the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation.

More: Principal Thomas Graham suspended, faces sexual misconduct charges

Cherokee County Schools Superintendent Jeana Conley released a statement Friday saying internal investigations have ended, but Graham has been placed on administrative leave without pay, pending the conclusion of the criminal investigation.

The school district is cooperating with law enforcement, she said.

There had been no reports of questionable behavior before Graham's hiring by the district, Conley said.

"As the veteran principal in the district he was selected to lead the county's largest school," Conley said in a statement. "At the time of his hiring, there were no allegations of misconduct and he had a stellar record of 23 years of service."

The school district was not made aware of the allegations until late last year, after Graham was transferred to work at the school in 2016.