SC charter school where students allegedly suffered sexual abuse announces closure
An Irmo charter school that had lost roughly half its students over the past three years amid an employee sexual abuse scandal is closing for at least the next school year.
The board of GREEN Charter Schools, a Greenville-based charter network, voted Thursday to immediately suspend operations at its Midlands campus on Broad River Road.
“After careful consideration of the operational, financial, enrollment and programmatic factors at the GREEN Charter Schools’ Midlands campus, the board has determined that it is in the best interest of GREEN Midlands, its students and GREEN Charter Schools’ educational mission to suspend operations at the GREEN Midlands campus and not enroll students for the 2026-2027 school year,” board chair Justin Varnes said in a statement read at the meeting.
GREEN Midlands, which opened in 2017, will retain its charter and remain in “non-operational status” until its board determines next steps, according to an agreement the charter network reached with its authorizer.
Brad Henry, a spokesman for the South Carolina Public Charter School District, said the authorizer was giving GREEN an opportunity to work through its issues while continuing to prioritize accountability, transparency and the educational interests of students.
He said GREEN would need to complete the district’s renewal process and show it had met all academic, operational and financial requirements before reopening its Midlands campus.
GREEN Midlands, which enrolled more than 300 students in kindergarten through eighth grade during the 2022-2023 school year, had seen its enrollment dwindle to just 156 this past year, South Carolina Department of Education records show.
While the school’s academic achievement had been subpar for years, as measured by the state report card, most student departures came only after Irmo police arrested two school employees last year in connection with the sexual abuse of students.
In February 2025, police alleged the after-school director at GREEN’s Midlands campus fondled multiple young students at the school and that his principal failed to notify authorities of the alleged abuse in a timely fashion.
GREEN terminated the after-school director, Sulaymaan Benoit, shortly after the allegations surfaced, but stood by Principal Tina Shaw, going so far as to fund her legal defense.
In the months since their arrests, Benoit has been hit with four additional counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a child younger than 11.
The families of three children allegedly targeted, exploited and sexually abused by Benoit sued the school last November, arguing it had demonstrated “a pattern and practice of deliberate indifference towards sexual assault.”
The criminal charges against both Benoit and Shaw remain pending. Varnes did not immediately respond Monday when asked whether GREEN would continue to pay for Shaw’s attorney.
The cash-strapped charter network, which last year was forced to cut staff and apply for a $2.5 million revolving line of credit to assist with cash flow issues, does not have immediate plans to shutter any of its other six other schools, its board said.
In a statement read at last week’s board meeting, Varnes said GREEN’s decision to close its Midlands campus was “unique” and “should not be interpreted as a reflection of the performance, stability or future of our other campuses.”
The charter network said it would provide resources, guidance and enrollment support to GREEN Midlands families as they transition to other schools in the area for next school year.
“We stand committed to seeing our families through this process,” the board said, adding that information about enrollment options, records transfers and transition assistance would be forthcoming.
In addition to its decision to shutter the Midlands campus, GREEN’s board also voted last week to hire Chase Willingham as interim executive director.
Willingham, who previously served as the charter network’s project manager, replaces former executive director Tom Cronin, who resigned last month after facing prolonged public calls from parents to step down.
“The board is confident that Mr. Willingham is exceptionally well-suited to lead this organization during this important transition period,” Varnes said in a prepared statement read at the meeting. “His depth of experience, steady leadership and commitment to educational excellence will help ensure continued stability while positioning the network for future growth and success.”
The board said Willingham would serve as interim executive director until a permanent director was selected and appointed following a search process.
This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 9:17 AM with the headline "SC charter school where students allegedly suffered sexual abuse announces closure."