OAK HILL, W.Va. — A banner honoring the military service of embattled former Fayette County Delegate Elliott Pritt is coming down.
Oak Hill City Council voted unanimously to remove the banner during its Monday night meeting.
Pritt served in the United States Air Force from 2008 to 2014, eventually rising to Staff Sergent. He went on to become a state delegate and a schoolteacher at Oak Hill High School in Fayette County. A banner recognizing his service to the country had been placed in downtown Oak Hill.
Pritt has been involved in a firestorm over the past month since allegations surfaced that he enticed an underage Fayette County girl into a sexual relationship. The misconduct reportedly began when the girl was in the eighth grade over the video game Roblox, eventually transitioning to Snapchat.
Pritt was arrested in July and brought into federal custody, making an initial appearance at the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse a couple of weeks ago for preliminary and detention hearings. While at the courthouse, he resigned his seat in the House of Delegates.
There was significant interest about what would happen to his candidacy in the November General Election, as he remained on ballots for a time, but he withdrew from the ballot last week. The West Virginia Republican Party will not have a candidate on the House of Delegates 50th District because of Pritt’s withdrawal, in accordance with a West Virginia law passed in 2024.
Then, resident Chris Pennington called for the banner to come down at Monday’s meeting.
“I didn’t make this request lightly,” Pennington said. “These banners are public honor, displayed on our Main Street and other city-owned properties. Sometimes, extraordinary circumstances require us to reconsider whether continuing that honor is appropriate.”
He said he officially made the request to a member of the council when the allegations came to light and was satisfied that it came before the full council during its meeting.
“The allegations against Elliott are extremely serious,” Pennington said. “They describe a child being groomed, beginning when she was just 13 years old by an adult in a position of trust, with the alleged abuse eventually occurring right here in a classroom in our hometown.”
Pennington said his heart goes out to the victim and her family.
“They are part of this community, too,” Pennington said. “They travel the same roads that you and I do. They shouldn’t have to drive down Main Street and see a banner publicly honoring the person accused of doing this to her.”
Pennington said keeping the banner up would also open up the risk of further danger.
“I’m also concerned that leaving that banner up risks eventually someone taking matters into their own hands,” Pennington said. “Potentially causing damage to surrounding property.”
The Fayette County Board of Education meets Tuesday to discuss firing Pritt from his position as a schoolteacher.
Meanwhile, Pritt remains in federal custody, he could be indicted soon by a federal grand jury.