Nationwide — Sharon Louise Benson, an elementary school teacher at Sumter County, South Carolina, has been arrested for allegedly hitting a student twice in the face to wake him up, causing the child to fall and hit his head.Police said the student fell asleep in another classroom and was later pushed into the hallway, where Benson allegedly poked the child’s chest before slapping him twice. The slaps reportedly caused the student to fall to the floor and hit his head, according to WISTV.
On January 9th, the Sumter Police Department responded to Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital, where officers spoke to the child and his aunt. The aunt said she was not notified about the incident until the following day.
Investigators reviewed security footage from the school, which reportedly confirmed parts of the student’s account. The footage showed Benson pushing the student in a chair and slapping him in the hallway.
Attorney Todd Rutherford, representing the child’s family, condemned the incident. He stated, “This should never happen in South Carolina and this should never happen to anyone’s child in any school anywhere in the world. For a child to literally be sitting and be assaulted by a teacher so hard that they fall to the floor, it’s disturbing as a parent, it’s disturbing as a lawmaker, and it’s disturbing as a lawyer.”
The Sumter School District placed Benson on administrative leave on January 7th, and she resigned three days later. The district stated, “The conduct of this employee is not indicative of Sumter School District’s values and how we serve children.”
Moreover, the school district handed the matter to law enforcement, which led to Benson’s arrest. The investigation continues as authorities work to address the situation and support the victim.