Teacher Fired for ‘Threatening to Kill Students’

A substitute teacher in South Carolina is under investigation after allegedly threatening to kill fifth-grade students.

The teacher, who was not named, is no longer employed by Lexington School District One after the alleged incident at White Knoll Elementary School in West Columbia on Thursday, WIS-TV reported.

The woman, who had been employed by the district since December last year, has also been banned from all district property.

The station, citing a report from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, said the substitute teacher had allegedly threatened to grab her fifth-grade students by the neck and kill them.

Some of the students in the class reported the comments to the faculty, a spokesperson for the school district told WIS-TV.

The substitute reportedly grabbed her belongings and left the school campus before deputies arrived on the scene.

“Administrators and school counselors met with the students to help calm them down and reassure them that they were safe,” the school district said in an email to parents.

“Parents of students who were in the class received personal phone calls shortly after the incident occurred.”

Terry Nine said her grandson said the substitute teacher had cursed at students and made racially insensitive comments.

“My grandson couldn’t even go to school today because he was so upset,” Nine told the station.

An investigation is ongoing. Newsweek has contacted the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and Lexington School District One for comment.

Last week’s incident comes after a teacher’s aide at another elementary school in Columbia was arrested and fired after authorities said she taped a four-year-old to a chair.

Olivia Michelle Murray, 25, was charged with cruelty to children, according to the sheriff’s department.

Authorities said the incident occurred in a 4K classroom at Seven Oaks Elementary School in Columbia on March 1.

“Based on our investigation, Murray, who works as a teacher’s aide, used duct tape o tape the student’s legs to a chair Wednesday while the teacher was out of the classroom,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said in a statement.

“Murray told detectives the student had been moved to the back of the classroom for being disruptive and not listening.”

The Lexington-Richland School District 5 issued a statement, confirming that Murray had been fired.

“Due to the alleged conduct, the individual is no longer employed with the district, and we are cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation,” the statement said.