The former Marathon School assistant principal accused of assaulting a disabled veteran from West Bridgewater at a Plainville casino two years ago decided to share his side of the story with the Independent the day before the anniversary of the incident.

Eric Mitchell was officially charged with assault and battery on a person over age 60 or with a disability with injury to Bryan Gallagher. Gallagher claimed that Mitchell assaulted him on Feb. 19, 2024, at the Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville by striking his face and pushing his body and head into a slot machine. Mitchell was arraigned on June 5, 2024. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance, according to court records.

On May 14, 2025, Thomas L. Finigan, first justice of the Wrentham District Court, ruled “sufficient facts found but continued without a finding until 5/12/27.” According to the state website, “continuance without a finding” means that “criminal case is continued to a date certain without the formal entry of a guilty finding.” in cases where there is a probation violation following this ruling, the defendant can face revocation of the continuance, entry of a finding of guilty and a sentence imposition, according to mass.gov.

Gallagher shared his story with the Independent in January after Mitchell was placed on administrative leave by the Hopkinton Public Schools. Former Elmwood School principal Anne Carver was hired as a long-term substitute assistant principal at Marathon School in early February to fill the vacancy.

ADHD at heart of issues

Mitchell shared his struggle as a person with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and his remorse over the incident in the following statement he emailed Wednesday to the Independent.

“I would like to begin by doing something publicly that I wish I could have done as early as February, 2024, and that is to apologize for my part in the altercation and subsequent injury to Mr. Bryan Gallagher. Unfortunately, directives from the court to avoid contact with him have been paramount and I have not, nor will I have, the opportunity to do so in person.

“I reacted badly to the stress and frustration I was dealing with that evening as well as the days and weeks leading up. Regardless of what was happening with me, I could have made some different choices, and I accept that. I only hope that one day Mr. Gallagher can find peace, healing, and forgiveness. That day may never come, and I also have to accept that.

“I also want to apologize to the students, their families, and my colleagues who returned to uncertainty in January. The last thing I have ever wanted was to ever be the cause of people’s stress. I was and continue to be sorry for that.

“While there are discrepancies in what was reported leading up to what was seen, it would serve no purpose to rehash that. Regardless of what happened before the video, there were opportunities on both ends to handle things differently. I would simply like to provide some personal context with what is already on the record with the courts and school district. These will not be excuses, maybe just some answers for those who need some.

“This is information I have openly shared. It is not a secret to those I work with that I was diagnosed in my late 30s with ADHD. I felt it was important to share this information with Marathon Faculty at the first meeting in August, 2023, as people with this diagnosis are often misunderstood.

“At this point, I have nothing to gain by putting this information out there for everyone in the community. It is part of who I am and I think a major reason why I approach students, parents, and colleagues with the assumption that people do the best they can with what they have. I’m sure there are some in the community who completely understand and there are others who will not.

“What I can tell you is that post-diagnosis and beginning treatment, I became a different, more compassionate, stronger teacher and person. While a personal choice, the impact of medication and counseling was life-changing.

“Pre-diagnosis, I resigned from my job as a 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teacher due to an inability to deal with what seemed like overwhelming paperwork, planning, grading, etc. I moved into Physical Education to mitigate some of those stressors and still work with students I love.

“Post-diagnosis and treatment, I use the analogy that many are familiar with — putting on glasses for the first time and realizing how poorly I was seeing without knowing it. In large part because of this medical intervention, I was able to mitigate the struggles of ADHD, focus more on the strengths that come with the condition, and move into a successful 13 year career as a school administrator.

“Unfortunately, at the time of the documented altercation, I was having difficulty acquiring the medication I had taken for the last 15 years due to a national shortage from November 2023 through May 2024. Additionally, I did not have the support services in place that I had prior to my return to the state in the summer of 2023.

“When being on this medication for so long, the recommendation is a gradual decline in dosage, not an immediate cessation. I was struggling with this on-again, off-again status, and some of the effects of sudden cessation, such as extreme exhaustion, slowed thinking (brain fog), migraine-like headaches, irritability, and mood swings to name a few. The frustration of returning to some of the issues I had thought were normal for years, before realizing they weren’t, was tough on me.

“Thankfully, for the last 21 months, the situation has stabilized and I again have consistent support in place. It is a life-long fight which is why early intervention is always the best course.

“Again, this is all on the record with the courts and the school district.

“There is no arguing what was seen on video. By agreeing to a continuance without finding, I gave up my right to tell my side of what was taking place prior to what was seen. I do not regret that decision because what happened should not have gotten to the level that it did.

“Since May 2025, I can only do what has been asked of me by the Commonwealth along with the additional actions I took to again get the help I needed. I can assuredly tell you that I received no preferential treatment by the courts. In the end, the District Attorney’s Office and judge used the information in front of them. Including the information above, 56 years of no prior history, and positive impact testimonials from previous parents, students, and colleagues were shared, the court made a decision based on the law.

“I have never tried to hide anything. When applying for an extension of my administrators license with DESE in the summer of 2024, I was up-front with all that was going on with the courts. After investigation, I received an email stating that my license had been approved and I no longer had to respond affirmatively to the affidavit question. My license was again extended in December 2025 and recently upgraded to a Provisional License in January, 2026, in part due to my meeting the four professional standards and receiving exceeding ratings for Standard 3, Family and Community Engagement, and Standard 4, Professional Culture.

“My regret in all of this is that Mr. Gallagher was injured the way he was and that I will no longer work with the educators, students, and their families in Hopkinton. Obviously, my goal is not to get my job back, but to potentially be a voice for those who have struggled with similar experiences to my medical journey.

“Whether it is someone who has lived in the shadows with their own struggles, a student who consistently comes to school wanting to have a good day but soon finds themselves consistently in trouble, or maybe understanding a spouse isn’t really trying to ignore you and annoy you every day, if my story can help in some small way, mission accomplished.

“While one has to be held accountable for their actions, I feel that I have been held in account as any citizen with no prior history and consistent, positive contributions in the community would be. My only hope is that I can one day continue to do what the court had intended, and that was to be given the opportunity to redeem myself and continue with the important work of supporting students, their families, and fellow educators. I have been told that one mistake can not define you. Only time will tell if that is the case.”