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Ex-Osceola principal to serve 1 year in prison on drug charges

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A former Osceola County elementary school principal was taken from a courtroom in handcuffs Monday.

David Groover was the principal at Partin Settlement Elementary School for six years until he was arrested on drug charges last year.

Prosecutors said he led a double life that eventually caught up to him.

Groover will serve one year in prison.

The one-year sentence is the result of a plea deal. Groover pleaded "no contest" to six drug-related charges, including possession of methamphetamine and the "date rape" drug GHB.

The activity was discovered following an undercover investigation at Groover's home, where investigators said he threw wild parties and offered drugs to his guests.

"We had an elementary school principal, by all means doing a great job, running a great school and there was this other life he led. The narcotics detectives, when they went to his home undercover, (said) he did a Billy Mays demonstration of the drugs in his home," said prosecutor Mark Interlicchio.

The prosecutor said there was no evidence Groover ever had drugs on campus or that his activities impacted the school in any way.

In 2009, Groover was arrested for driving under influence of alcohol.

His school personnel file shows signs of trouble at school.

In 2005, a teacher accused him of making sexually charged comments.

In 2008, he was accused of harassment and nicknaming a bookkeeper "The Nazi."

In 2012, there was a complaint describing regular office parties held during school hours where staff are allowed to do drugs and have alcohol on campus.

Interlicchio said they never saw any evidence of that.

"Not that I have in my police reports or in investigations with law enforcement officers," Interlicchio said.

It is now up to the Department of Education to decide if Groover can ever work in a school again.