Richmond Middle School Principal Pleads Guilty to Years of Child Sexual Abuse in Wayne County
Tasha Purnell, a former middle school principal in Richmond, pled guilty on Monday to two counts of third-degree rape and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child.
The charges were brought in the Superior Court of Delaware following an investigation by the Indiana State Police Troop 2 Criminal Investigations Unit into the rape of a child under the age of 16, according to DOJ.
Attorney General Kathy Jennings commented on the case, stating, “The sexual abuse of a child, in any case, is heinous. When that abuse comes from an adult, much less a person in a position of trust such as a principal or teacher whose entire purpose is to guide and protect children, it is absolutely unthinkable. The defendant will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. I am truly grateful to our prosecutors and the Delaware State Police for their excellent work on this case.”
Purnell, 44, was a teacher at Stanton Middle School when she repeatedly sexually assaulted the victim between 2010 and 2014. She later served as principal of A.I. Middle School from 2020 until her suspension and termination in September 2024.
Authorities do not believe there are additional victims associated with this case.
In a plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop 16 additional felony sexual crime charges and will recommend a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, despite the charges carrying a potential sentence of six to 75 years.
Sentencing was scheduled for August.
Public records indicate that Purnell continued to receive her salary after being placed on leave in September 2023, when the investigation began. Parents and teachers were not informed of the probe or her indictment on 19 charges in August 2024, learning of the situation only when local outlet WHYY reported the story two months ago, PEOPLE reported.
Following her guilty plea, the judge revoked Purnell’s bond and ordered her to be held at the Delores J. Baylor Correctional Center as she awaited sentencing.
