Honk News (Irmo, SC) – On Wednesday morning, the Irmo Police Department reported the arrest of both the principal and a teacher at a charter school in Richland County.
Authorities reported that Sulaymaan Benoit, 33, from Columbia, and Tina Shaw, 41, from Sumter, were employed at Green Charter School of the Midlands, where students fell prey to sexual offenses.
Benoit, who serves as the after-school director and substitute teacher, faces eight counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, as stated in the release. Authorities have reported allegations against him for inappropriate behavior involving three students aged 7 to 12.
The principal, Shaw, faces charges for not reporting child abuse and has been accused of two counts of assault and battery, as stated in the release. The allegations arise from the failure to report child abuse related to the ongoing charges against Benoit, as well as for performing two “improper searches” on two students, according to police reports.
According to Irmo Police Chief Bobby Dale, the inquiry was initiated after a parent reached out to the Irmo Police Department to report an alleged assault involving her child and Benoit, as stated during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. He described the events as inappropriate and lacking consent.
Dale stated that Shaw did not inform law enforcement about the incident, which was reported to Irmo police by the parent on January 30. She brought it to her supervisor’s attention, yet the school did not notify the police department. In the course of the investigation, authorities discovered that Benoit had unlawfully searched two students in October 2024, while the school had carried out its own internal inquiry but failed to inform the police.
The leader indicated that the inappropriate touching incidents trace back to at least October of the previous year, though they suspect it may have started as early as August.
Benoit has been employed at the school for a duration of two years, as stated in the announcement. According to her attorney, Johnathan Harvey, Shaw held the position of principal at the school for three years. The Green Charter website states that she brings 16 years of experience in the field of education.
Benoit received a surety bond of $75,000, while Shaw secured a $50,000 surety bond during a bond hearing on Wednesday afternoon. Both bonds come with stipulations requiring them to maintain a distance of at least 1,000 yards from the school, the victims’ residences, and their places of worship. Benoit has been mandated to refrain from any unsupervised interactions with minors and will need to wear an ankle monitor should he secure bond.
Benoit is currently in custody at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, according to jail records.
Authorities suspect that additional victims of the abuse may exist. During the bond hearing, authorities from Irmo reported that two additional victims have stepped forward following the arrests.