Louisiana principal accused of locking 5-year-old in closet

BATON ROUGE, La. -- A Louisiana school principal is accused of locking a 5-year-old girl in a closet.

Baton Rouge police say Shafeeq Syid Shamsid Deen, the principal at Laurel Oaks Charter School, turned himself in Friday and was arrested on charges of cruelty to a juvenile and false imprisonment.

A statement from Police Sgt. L'Jean Mckneely Jr. says Deen, 31, is accused of locking a student in a cafeteria closet on August 22.

News media report that the kindergarten student was hysterical when teachers heard her screams and found her.

The charter school's board suspended Deen on Thursday while it investigates. Its chairwoman and vice-chairman could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

----------

Send a breaking news alert
Report a correction or typo
Learn more about the 6abc apps