Sullivan school officials say there was liquor in one of its warehouses, but deny porno DVDs

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. – Several bottles of whiskey were indeed heisted from a Sullivan County school system warehouse during a recent break-in, but school officials deny the eight pornographic DVDs found along with them were ever in the building.

The Department of Education launched an internal investigation after the man who copped to the burglary produced the questionable items along with the more standard schoolhouse fare – a laptop, two cameras and some loose change.

The report of that investigation released by the school board’s attorney, E. Patrick Hull, noted that the two unopened bottles of whiskey were pried out of a locked file cabinet in an employee’s office. The warehouse manager, Martin Wright, said the liquor was left behind more than a year ago by a representative of a textbook publishing company, and he intended to donate the booze to his professional organization to use as a door prize. Additionally, the report states that Wright said he doesn’t drink alcohol because he is a diabetic.

“It does appear that this explanation is corroborated by the surrounding evidence,” Hull wrote in a statement on the report.

That statement does not account for two empty liquor boxes that the sheriff’s office listed as part of the same loot. Calls made Friday to the school board and its attorney were unanswered.

In the report, Hull said “the investigation failed to establish a link between school system employees and pornographic DVDs. ... None of the employees claim to have any knowledge or information concerning the presence of pornography of any kind in or around the facility at any time.”

The saga began Oct. 21 when an employee arrived at work at 5:45 a.m. to discover the Holston Drive building had been pillaged. The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office said the burglar jimmyed a window to enter the building, which houses storage space and offices for some 25 employees. The sheriff’s office reported that a security camera caught a man entering the building at 12:40 a.m. and leaving at 2 a.m. with “several items in his hands and a laptop in a case over his shoulder.”

Larry James Fleenor Jr., 24, of Hamilton Road in Blountville, was arrested later that day on charges of burglary, theft over $500 and vandalism over $500.

Fleenor told police he broke in looking for money and just picked up the other items along the way, the sheriff’s office said.

Hull’s statement questioned the validity of the source: “It should be pointed out that there are other inconsistencies regarding the items which were taken from the facility.”

Hull noted that Fleenor attributed two cameras to the warehouse, but no employees claimed them and the school system has no record of them. Additionally, Fleenor denied taking any money, while employees report losses of $30 to $50 combined.

“Therefore our investigation was not able to establish ownership or responsibility for any pornographic DVDs,” Hull concluded.

Director of Schools Jack Barnes determined the punishment for Wright, a long-tenured and valued employee. He will receive a written reprimand and one week unpaid suspension.

Meanwhile, Fleenor was released from the Sullivan County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

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