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School Board Member Arrested After Allegedly Striking Student with SUV

Following the incident in the parking lot of the Cartersville Walmart, Bartow County school board vice chairman, Angie Cornett, was jailed on a misdemeanor charge of reckless conduct.

 

Updated Sunday, Dec. 30

In an interview with The Daily Tribune News, Cornett called the charge "bogus."

Cornett told the newspaper she was halfway in the parking spot when the teen leaned into and up against her vehicle.

"I was at a standstill at that point because when I saw her I stopped," Cornett told the Tribune. "I backed out and got into the parking space across from it and called the police. ... The ambulance came, she refused medical treatment—there was nothing wrong with her, and in fact, afterwards she walked into the Walmart laughing and continues her shopping."

Cartersville Patch asked Cornett to comment via email and Facebook, but has not received a response.

Original Report

A Bartow County Board of Education representative at the center of an ethics complaint was jailed Friday following an apparently unrelated incident in the parking lot of the Cartersville Walmart.

Angela "Angie" Gail Cornett, 41, who serves as District 3 rep and vice chairman, is accused of striking with her vehicle an Adairsville High School student, 17. Here's what happened, according to the Bartow County Sheriff's Office incident report, attached:

Deputies responded to an approximate 2:30 p.m. call about the teen, a senior in high school, who said she had been struck by a white SUV in the parking lot. She told authorities she was standing with a buggy in an empty parking spot—saving the space for her brother's girlfriend, who had recently given birth—when Cornett, driving her SUV, approached and yelled for her to move.

The teen said she told Cornett she was saving the space, but Cornett accelerated her 2007 Lexus GX470 and hit the girl's right leg with the front, passenger tire of the vehicle. While her leg was caught in the tread of the tire, Cornett captured photographs and videos of the teen, she said, according to the report. The teen said she yelled for help, then called 911.

Cornett told authorities she told the teen to move, then started to pull into the parking space, at which time the girl "leaned against her vehicle and started to yell, 'She hit me,'" according to the report. Cornett confirmed she was taking pictures and videos of the teen with a cell phone.

Intending to fight the charge, Cornett told WBHF-AM 1450 the teen leaned against her vehicle, transferring dirt to the girl's pants and resulting in her arrest.

Walmart security footage indicates the teen was "struck by the vehicle" and that "she [was] physically moved by the force of the vehicle," according to the deputy's report. "The SUV stops and remains stopped for several moments. The SUV then backs out of the parking space, pulls back in partially, and backs out again.

"From observing the video and the marks on [the girl's] leg, it was evident that the Lexus being driven by Angela was used with such velocity that it obviously endangered the bodily safety of [the teen]," the deputy wrote. "Angela consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk by striking [the teen] with her vehicle, which constituted a gross deviation from the standard of care which a reasonable person would exercise in the same situation."

Cornett, who was arrested and charged with reckless conduct, a misdemeanor, listed her occupation as a Bartow County court reporter. She was bonded out of jail on Friday, The Daily Tribune News reports.

The mother of two, ages 16 and 12, according to her Facebook profile, Cornett was elected and took office about two years ago. The school system's second ethics complaint of 2012 focuses in part on her public comments about a school system employee in response to the publication of alleged communications between board members on the website, bartowforabetterboe.com.

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Related Content

For more on Bartow Schools, see our dedicated section: Bartow County Schools: Budget, Board and More.

 

    Related Topics: Angie Cornett, Bartow County School Board Member Arrested, Bartow Schools, bartow county sheriff's office, cartersville arrests, and cartersville crime

    robert wilkey

    10:33 pm on Saturday, December 29, 2012

    They should remove her from any position on the board pending the outcome of this case.It seems like she is a very wreckless individual with no regard of human life.

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    Thomas R Burnsed Jr

    10:46 pm on Saturday, December 29, 2012

    How long until the next election?
    Imagine what her husband has to put up with.
    I can't say poor guy because he is probably paying for the Lexus.
    That isn't an inexpensive vehicle.
    It must be cheaper to keep her...for now.
    He could use this against her in a divorce though.

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    steve

    8:15 am on Sunday, December 30, 2012

    Sounds like a smart ass teen and a hot tempered woman came head to head and the teen is gonna win in the end!!!
    Remember do not ram ppl with your vehicle its called assault....

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    Katherine M

    1:20 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

    The charges should be upgraded to assault with a deadly weapon. If you do something to make me mad and I shoot at you and miss I'm still getting charged with attempted murder. This is no different - the teenage girl (student at Adairsville High) tried to "save" a parking space. Angie obviously lost it and tried to teach the girl a lesson by trying to run over her, and then Angie and her daughter lied to police (why are they not being charged with that?) The video tape proved Angie's guilt or they would not have arrested her. This woman showed very very very poor judgement at the least and when coupled with all the foul mouthed phone conversations and text messages that were posted a while back it is obvious she should resign immediately form the BOE. She does not have the charector or class (or intelligence) to represent Bartow citizens.

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    Gail Engelhardt

    1:39 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

    Obviously, Angie Cornett has a anger management problem and should be committed for evaluation at the least. She is unfit to be representing the people of Bartow on the Bartow Board of Education. This is not the first time, that Ms. Cornett has lost it either. She stood up in a room full of parents and some students and scream out making false accusations about a teacher because she was angry that her comments which she made and her actions were reported in the newspaper for all to see. The woman does know the truth and does tell the truth. Again, that makes her unfit to represent parents of children on the BBOE. Let's see if the Board will ask her to step down, or if they will shove this under the rug like they do breaking the rule of law when it comes to appointments, which are also against the Georgia Constitution. The Daily-Tribune makes them out to be such a wonderful Board and so does the Bartow Neighbor. I guess they don't have children in the system or don't care that the Board and some of its members break the law. Instead they commend them for doing such a wonderful job. A job of what? Showing how to break the law and get away with it because of corruption in the BBOE and even in our legal and court system? When are the parents and the citizens who pay school taxes going to stand up and say enough is enough???

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    Kim Wagnon

    3:39 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013

    I was at the board meeting where Gail Engelhardt is referring to. I asked for her resignation months ago. This woman finally showed all of Bartow County what we who go to Board meeting see and know about her character. Shame on her, again I am just disgusted!! I hope the charges are increased after viewing the video, and knowing she has issues that I have seen.

    Gail Engelhardt

    1:48 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

    In my previous post, I meant to say the "woman doesn't tell the truth". She is unfit to serve as a BBOE member let alone vice chair. She is reckless and uncontrollable. She could have maim that teenage girl. Even if the girl was perhaps wrong to block the parking space, there are plenty of other spaces to park at Walmart. There is absolutely no excuse for what Angie Cornett did to this young girl. Being mean spirited and nasty to another human being is wrong any way you look at it, and the Walmart camera tells the truth, which Angie and her daughter did not. I hope the parents of this young woman sue the pants off of Ms. Cornett. She is a hateful and spiteful woman and needs anger management care immediately, but that is still no excuse for her actions. As an adult, Ms. Cornett should have acted more responsibly in front of her own daughter and in public.

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    JLS

    2:16 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

    the lady should not have hit the teen and should not be on a school board i also think we should not have cuss words on these post you you people should have more respect because not everone talks like that i can make my point and not ever cuss

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    CLUBFV

    2:48 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

    Mrs. Cornett was not the adult in this incident and seems to let her temper get away with her far too often

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    Brande Poulnot

    3:16 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

    Keep the language clean, please, and no personal attacks on a certain attorney, (Paul), please.

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    JLS

    9:44 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

    thank you brandi poulnot i do not want to stop posting just becauce of these people has no respect for others i enjoy getting into the conversations

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    Brande Poulnot

    3:19 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

    And let's keep in mind Ms. Cornett, just like any other criminal defendant, is considered innocent until her case is settled in court.

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    kelly martin

    3:34 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

    Angie is not reckless and uncontrollable. Its one think to talk about the incident in question,but the personal attack is completely uncalled for. To say things about her husband who is a wonderful man and her children. What is wrong with you people?

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    Always an Emerson girl!

    5:05 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

    People with limited vocabularies usually resort to gutter language.

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    JLS

    9:50 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

    sorry wrong post nothing with this SORRY EMERSON GIRL

    d1

    8:20 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

    I agree she does not deserve to be on the board. but also who in the hell sits there and reserves a parking space. Both of them are losers.

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    Diana Taylor

    12:05 am on Monday, December 31, 2012

    Who is surprised ? Angie Cornett is more immature than the children whose education she oversees. Bad Girl, Angie, Bad Girl, now go stand in the corner till you learn to control yourself.!!

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    Private

    8:23 am on Monday, December 31, 2012

    We all absolutely agree to remove Angie Cornett from her position on the board. If she is unable to act appropiately in the genereal public and she continues to make poor and unexplicable decisions then how can we be sure she is making sound decisions in her job that affect all of our childrens future? Also, in the court of law a pedestrian has the right of way in a parking lot, especially when they are up against a 5,000 pound vehicle.

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    MyGodIsFaithful

    8:27 am on Monday, December 31, 2012

    I think I saw this on an episode of Honey Boo Boo last week.... Wow!!! Over a parking spot at Wally World...... I guess walking a few extra steps was too much for Angie "court reporter" Cornett....

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    d1

    12:08 pm on Monday, December 31, 2012

    good one. DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS TO CERTAIN COUNTY SCHOOLS. There are only one or two that are worth a crap. This arrest of this loser is proof of the representation.

    steve

    6:30 pm on Monday, December 31, 2012

    Nobody should be personally attacking teacher are her husband other then saying what she did was dumb to say the least. Personel attacks are hurtful.

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    Josh

    5:05 am on Tuesday, January 1, 2013

    What's with this adult rage toward teenagers? I understand teens can be unruly and disrespectful, but these are still kids. You would expect adults to take the high road in these situations. There is no need to teach a random kid a lesson in respect on whim based on your emotions at the discretion of your unbrideled rage. Take more control over your life like an adult and you will not feel the need to overpower a young person who is still developing the skills you obviously haven't learned.

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    Diana Taylor

    6:30 pm on Tuesday, January 1, 2013

    She denied hitting the girl and her daughter lied, they just didn't know Wally World has videos of the parking lot. Now this story was on the tv news and in the AJC. I'm surprised they didn't show the video. Angela Cornett you make Bartow soooo proud.

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    David Chastain

    8:54 pm on Wednesday, January 2, 2013

    Does Cartersville really need this type of National Attention? This article is all over the Huff Post.

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    Jacob

    1:54 am on Thursday, January 3, 2013

    was shedrug tested?? for anyone to do such a thing must be on something

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    Falconer

    8:43 am on Thursday, January 3, 2013

    It is so sad this kind of scrap even happen. The event can't be explained away over a parking place. Right or wrong her actions show she should be charged with assault with a deadly weapon. She is lucky this wasn't my child or they would be a empty spot on the school board right now. Young people make mistakes and they will learn from them ,but only if we show them the right way. This wasn't a good choice. You teach your children how to act by our own actions. Using a car as a weapon isn't ok.!!!!

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    Donna

    11:50 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013

    I was shocked and dismayed to read the story of Angie Cornett's arrest regarding the incident in the Wal Mart parking lot. After seeing the security video on the 11 o'clock news, I was convinced Ms Cornett had every intention of parking her SVU in that particular parking slot, and nothing would stand in her way. Perhaps she was having a bad day, maybe she was just tired. Whatever it was that caused her to respond in the manner she did to the young lady who was saving that parking spot, Ms Cornett was wrong, wrong, wrong!!! She will never have a logical reason or excuse that will make this ok. If you are out of control and you are driving a 5000 lb vehicle aimed at another person, you might just as well have a loaded gun in your hand. One will do just as much damage as the other.

    PS: Today, Ms Cornett resigned her position on the School Board.

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