A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Friday on child abuse charges facing a South Carolina elementary school teacher and principal.
Horry County police arrested Ocean Bay Elementary School principal Rebecca Schroyer and teacher Grace McColgan in November.
McColgan, 60, is charged with six counts of unlawful conduct toward a child in the 2021-2022 school year. The special education teacher is accused of rubbing hand sanitizer on a child’s open wound, throwing a child from a chair, hitting three students in the back of the head and leaving the children unattended for hours, according to the arrest warrants.
Schroyer, 47, is charged with two counts of failing to report child abuse or neglect after learning of McColgan’s actions, authorities said.
SOUTH CAROLINA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER AND HIS YOUNG CHILDREN FOUND DEAD
The Sun News of Myrtle Beach reports that at least one parent has also filed a lawsuit in the case. A parent identified in court documents only as John Doe sued the school and the district on Thursday. Filed on behalf of his nonverbal daughter, the lawsuit states that an outside investigator told the father on Oct. 20 that McColgan was videotaped around Feb. 1 beating his daughter. The lawsuit alleges that Schroyer failed to take action and allowed the student to remain in a class taught by McColgan.
Tiffany Bufkin, the father’s attorney, said Thursday that in addition to monetary damages, the father wants a full account of the problems, noting that nonverbal students cannot tell their parents what happened.
A South Carolina elementary school teacher and principal have been accused of abuse. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday against both women.
The Horry County School District does not comment on pending litigation, spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier told the newspaper.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s office has taken it upon themselves to prosecute the teacher and principal. Lawyers representing the children McColgan is accused of injuring have asked 15th Circuit attorney Jimmy Richardson to step aside due to potential conflicts of interest. Richardson confirmed last week that he asked Attorney General Alan Wilson to take up the case in November after receiving the request.
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The school district still pays Schroyer and McColgan. McColgan’s teaching license has been temporarily suspended.
