School district bans substitute teacher after threatening to kill her students

LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) - A substitute teacher is no longer working for a school district in South Carolina after she reportedly threatened students.

According to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, a substitute teacher this week at White Knoll Elementary School threatened to grab her fifth-grade students by the neck and kill them.

Officials with Lexington School District One said law enforcement was called to the school, but the substitute grabbed her personal belongings and left campus before deputies arrived.

“My grandson couldn’t even go to school because he was so upset,” said Terry Nine, the grandmother of a fifth grader.

Several parents told WIS that they were upset regarding the substitute’s behavior as she reportedly also cursed at the students while making racially insensitive comments.

“Administrators and school counselors met with students to help calm them down and reassure them that they were safe. Parents of students who were in the class received personal phone calls shortly after the incident occurred,” a district email read that was sent to parents.

Officials with the school district said the substitute teacher in question is no longer employed by them and has since been banned from all district properties. The unidentified woman had been employed by the district since December 2022.

Following Thursday’s incident, parents are demanding more vetting when it comes to substitutes.

“When I drop off my children at school, I want to make sure that they’re safe. I think extra measures should be taken at this point,” said Nora Smith, the mother of an 11-year-old student.

Authorities said the situation remains under investigation.

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