The defense attorney for Brian Vollhardt, the Fresno Unified ex-principal caught on video three months ago striking a student with special needs, said that what he knows about his client and the video released to “the world” don’t line up.

“My client has been in education for 20-plus years. He’s been a teacher, a special ed teacher and administrator for many years,” attorney Roger Wilson said. “The conduct that’s on the video appears to be completely out of character for him.”

Vollhardt, former principal of Wolters Elementary, faces a misdemeanor charge of child abuse in connection with the June 7 incident in the school’s cafeteria. He was charged more than two months after the fact, which Fresno police have said was due to their own missteps brought to light by an investigation from The Bee’s Education Lab.

But the June 7 incident wasn’t the only one between Vollhardt and the student, according to the results of a Public Records Act request filed by the Ed Lab. Eleven days earlier, the principal allegedly forced the same student to the ground and had his knee to the student’s back while holding down the student’s shoulder for “approximately 2-4 minutes,” according to a formal complaint obtained by the Ed Lab.

Wilson added that he is still waiting on key information and evidence from the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office as he prepares for Vollhardt’s arraignment later this month.

Fresno police expect to have the “completed package” to the DA’s office this week, said Lt. Bill Dooley, spokesperson for the Fresno Police Department, in an email to the Ed Lab on Monday. He told the Ed Lab last week that investigators were still finalizing interviews after charges had been presented.

DA’s office spokesperson Taylor Long confirmed that the office is anticipating “further discovery” from police but will “provide the necessary discovery to the defendant’s attorney at or before the arraignment date” via email Monday afternoon.

Vollhardt’s arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 26.

Golden Plains Unified, the Fresno County K-12 district that hired Vollhardt as a vice principal only 11 days after he resigned from his position with Fresno Unified, said they’re awaiting the results of the criminal case against him before taking any further action.

The district placed him on administrative leave Sept. 8 and released a statement that the district was not aware of the June 7 incident until last week.

As of Monday afternoon, Golden Plains Unified has not responded to multiple inquiries about whether they contacted Fresno Unified regarding Vollhardt’s references. During the district’s news conference last week, Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson said they didn’t contact FUSD.

As for Vollhardt’s credentials, California’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing couldn’t answer questions regarding Vollhardt specifically.

Fresno Unified has confirmed they reported Vollhardt to the CTC. Typically, such referrals come with the consideration of revocation of their credential, Nelson told the Ed Lab last week.

But the CTC doesn’t release any information regarding investigations into educators until a case has been “fully adjudicated,” according to CTC government relations manager Jonathon Howard.

An “adverse indicator” on someone’s profile in the CTC’s public database of credentialed educators wouldn’t show up until after the completion of a “disciplinary review, all appeal options have been exercised or expired and the action has been adopted and effectuated by the Commission,” Howard said in an email to the Ed Lab.

Vollhardt’s credentials are still listed as active as of Monday evening.

They include a Level II Education Specialist Instruction Credential, which allows him to “conduct assessments, provide instruction, and special education related services to individuals with a primary disability of autism.”

Vollhardt was first hired by Fresno Unified in 2008 as a teacher with Roosevelt High School’s special education department. He also worked at Tenaya Middle School and Bullard High School.

The Ed Lab’s Lasherica Thornton contributed to this report

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The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab at its website.