Superintendent: Woodland principal accused of domestic assault no longer with district

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The Woodland High School principal accused of assaulting his girlfriend at a March principals' conference is no longer employed by the district.

Superintendent Jennings Wilkinson confirmed Tuesday morning that Hershel Delane Beckwith is no longer principal. He said he could not elaborate on how the resignation came about.

Beckwith was charged last month with domestic assault following an incident at an administrators' conference at Lake of the Ozarks.

According to the criminal complaint, on the night of March 27 Beckwith injured his girlfriend when he grabbed her by the throat, threw her on the bed and then grabbed her by the hair to drag her back into the couple's room.

Beckwith and the victim were attending the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals' spring conference March 27 to 29 at The Lodge of Four Seasons in Camden County. The name of this year's conference was "Be Somebody's Hero," according to the association's website.

Wilkinson said he could neither confirm nor deny that the school board had terminated Beckwith.

"There are privacy issues and I have to respect them," Wilkinson said. "I can just say that he is no longer employed in the district."

Beckwith's case is set for arraignment April 28, according to Case Net.