Elijah Allman behaved aggressively toward faculty members and police officers at St. Paul’s School before being arrested Friday evening, according to a message the school sent to parents.
School officials said the incident began around 6 p.m., when Allman, the 49-year-old son of Cher and the late Gregg Allman, drove onto the campus in Concord and entered the dining hall as students were leaving.
Once inside, he interacted with students while smoking a cigarette.
Allman became irritated when several students followed him, and at one point, he reportedly “poked one with his cane,” according to the school.
Faculty and campus safety officers were alerted of the disruption. When they engaged with Allman, he “pushed one faculty member with his cane” before being removed from the building, school officials said.
The disturbance unfolded during a busy evening on campus, as St. Paul’s hosted a playoff ice hockey game, a winter dance and music performances. The events brought an unusually large number of adults onto the campus, many of whom students did not recognize.
Allman had no previous affiliation with the school but identified himself as a prospective parent, the school said.
Concord Police charged Allman, who is from Malibu, CA., with two misdemeanor counts of simple assault, criminal trespass and criminal threatening, both misdemeanors, and a violation of disorderly conduct.
He was released on personal recognizance bail and will be arraigned at the Concord District Court on April 20 at 8:15 a.m.
“He was belligerent toward our adults and the police officers,” the school wrote in its message to parents, which went on to offer a measure of reassurance. “While this event was serious, it would not have garnered media attention if it were not for Mr. Allman’s celebrity status.”
Allman was accompanied by another individual who drove the vehicle he arrived in. That person was questioned at the scene but was not detained and left campus immediately in their vehicle.
School officials said they plan to refresh training and reinforce messaging regarding campus visitor protocols in the aftermath of the incident.