Harrisburg school principal arrested for violating PFA order: police

Police escorted the principal of Harrisburg High School’s main campus from school grounds Tuesday morning after finding him in violation of an anti-abuse protection order issued against him in January.

That PFA ordered Laquan Magruder, 33, of Harrisburg, to stay away from an ex-girlfriend’s workplace because she testified that Magruder became angry and pointed guns at her, according to the original order. The temporary protective order went into effect Jan. 5.

The woman worked in the Harrisburg School District’s administrative office, which was located at 1601 State Street at the time, and she said Magruder went to the administration building on Jan. 8, 9 and 10, according to charging documents filed by police.

According to the woman, Magruder arrived at the building in the morning and evening and stood outside the administration office, police wrote in charging documents. The administration building is about a mile from the John Harris campus of the high school where Magruder works.

The woman said she informed Superintendent Eric Turman and Human Resources Director Heidi Zula about the PFA order on Jan. 5. But a few days later, on Jan. 8 and 9, the two held a meeting with her to discuss the PFA and invited Magruder to the meeting, but he showed up in violation of the order, according to a complaint the woman filed with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

Turman declined to answer a question about whether he invited Magruder to any meetings with the woman because he could not discuss specifics of the case. PennLive was unable to reach Magruder for comment for this story. According to Turman, Magruder attended graduation ceremonies Wednesday night.

“A district judge confirmed on June 4 that the protection from abuse order, which stems from a domestic dispute in January, does not interfere with Principal Magruder’s professional duties at this time,” Turman said in a statement to PennLive Wednesday evening.

The woman first reported the violations to Lower Paxton Township police on May 30, five months after they occurred. However, she told PennLive that she was passed around between different agencies for months before she was finally referred to Lower Paxton Township police, who made the arrest.

A representative of the district attorney’s office informed Lower Paxton Township police that the allegations constituted a violation of the PFA, charging documents state.

After a hearing on Jan. 17, Dauphin County Judge Courtney Powell issued a permanent protective order. The order states that Magruder is prohibited from having contact with the woman or her children at any location, including school or work.

The woman said she attempted to raise the breach of the previous PFA order at the January 17 hearing, but was unable to obtain video evidence of the breaches in time for the hearing.

The school district had previously placed Magruder on administrative leave on Jan. 17, with assistant principal Christopher Sattele assuming his duties. The district later allowed Magruder to resume his normal duties on March 25.

Police arrested Magruder on Tuesday during high school graduation rehearsal. He was released on bail. District Judge Sonya McKnight’s office has not yet uploaded a public online filing that would show the date of his preliminary hearing and other bail information.

According to the woman’s original application for a PFA, she and Magruder dated for three months in 2023. Over the course of the relationship, Magruder showed signs of anger issues, the woman said.

“He started to become aggressive and insult me, even though he had problems with other people,” the woman wrote to the court.

The woman said that after further outbursts of anger, Magruder began pointing his guns at her.

One time, Magruder invited the woman to his house for dinner. After bringing pesto, she came to his house on North Progress Avenue.

When she arrived, Magruder opened the door and pointed a gun at her, she wrote.

“He said he thought someone was trying to break in. We were talking on the phone and texting and he told me to come over,” the woman said. “I thought he was going to shoot me.”

Then the woman said his eyes went blank and he went to his room in silence, gun in hand and deep in thought.

The woman also said she videotaped Magruder driving past her home late at night and that she had to reset all of her accounts and passwords, get a new debit card and change her locks.

“He drives past my house at night,” she said. “I caught him on camera. I live in fear.”

As part of the protection order, Magruder was ordered to temporarily surrender his firearms and have no contact with the woman or her children. The order is in effect for one year, until January 17, 2025.

The woman has since left the school district. She told PennLive she plans to take legal action against the district over its handling of the situation.