Teacher & principal at SC school arrested following sexual battery of children, police say
Both the principal and a teacher at a charter school in Richland County were arrested Wednesday morning, according to the Irmo Police Department.
Both 33-year-old Columbia resident Sulaymaan Benoit and 41-year-old Sumter resident Tina Shaw worked at Green Charter School of the Midlands where students were victims of sex crimes, police said in a news release.
Benoit, the after school director and substitute teacher, was charged with eight counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to the release. He’s accused of fondling three students, who are between 7-12 years old, police said.
Shaw, the principal, was charged with failure to report child abuse and two counts of assault & battery, according to the release. Those charges stem from failing to report child abuse in connection with the charges pending against Benoit and for conducting two “improper searches” on two students, police said.
The investigation began when a parent contacted the Irmo Police Department to report an alleged assault of her child by Benoit, Irmo Police Chief Bobby Dale said at a Wednesday afternoon press conference. He called the incidents non-consensual and lewd.
Shaw failed to report the incident, reported to Irmo police by that parent Jan. 30, to law enforcement, Dale said. She reported it to her supervisor, but the police department was not informed by the school. During the investigation, police found Benoit had illegally searched two students in October 2024 and that the school had conducted an internal investigation of its own, but did not tell police.
The chief said the fondling incidents date back to at least October of last year, but they believe it could’ve been going on since August.
Benoit has worked at the school for two years, according to the release. Shaw served as principal of the school for three years, according to her attorney, Johnathan Harvey. A message on Green Charter’s website said she has 16 years of experience in education.
Benoit was given a $75,000 surety bond and Shaw posted a $50,000 surety bond at a Wednesday afternoon bond hearing, both with conditions that they remain at least 1,000 yards away from the school, the victims’ homes and places of worship. In addition, Benoit was ordered to not have any unsupervised contact with minors, and will be required to wear an ankle monitor, if he posts bond.
Benoit is being held at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, jail records show.
Police said they believe there are more victims of the abuse. At the bond hearing, Irmo police said two other victims had come forward since the arrests.
When asked at the press conference if more charges would be brought against other school officials, Dale said he couldn’t provide information on that at this time.
“We are asking any current or former students and employees that know anything, to please contact our Investigations Division at 803-781-8088,” Irmo police said in their initial release.
A spokesman for the South Carolina Public Charter School District told The State in a statement that the district was notified of the allegations against Benoit and Shaw by Irmo police on February 21.
“Allegations of educators harming students deserve the highest levels of care and attention, and we are very concerned about the allegation that the school’s educators and administration failed to meet duties required by mandated reporter laws,” the spokesman said, adding that the district is investigating whether the school violated its charter or the law.
Both the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division assisted Irmo police with the arrests.
“Schools are the place our children should be safe and protected, not preyed upon,” Chief Bobby Dale said in the release. “You have not one, but two employees who made this school unsafe and did not protect their students. Mandated Reporters are just that, MANDATED. Telling your human resources department does not absolve you of this duty. Law Enforcement and Department of Social Services must be made aware if you suspect abuse or neglect and that did not happen here. A parent notified this agency after the Principal was informed of the allegations against Mr. Benoit.”
Benoit was placed on administrative leave Feb. 6 and has actively been searching for another job, according to his public defender, Hope Demer. Dale said Benoit has been on administrative leave since January.
Green Charter School, at 7820 Broad River Road, teaches students from kindergarten through the 8th grade, according to its website. It’s a nonprofit charter management company under the jurisdiction of the South Carolina Public Charter School District.
In a statement provided via email, a local martial arts school that maintains locations in Irmo and elsewhere in the Midlands, acknowledged that Benoit previously worked there.
“Legacy Martial Arts is aware of the arrest of Sulaymaan Benoit earlier today,” owner Daniel Kim said in the statement Wednesday, adding that the charges against Benoit aren’t related in any way to his time at Legacy. “Benoit briefly served as a staff member at our Northeast campus for only three weeks in 2021. His background check was clear at the time of his hiring and there were never any reports or allegations made during his very brief stint with us.”
In a provided statement, a spokesperson for the Irmo police stressed that Legacy has been cooperative in their investigation.
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This story was originally published February 26, 2025 at 10:47 AM with the headline "Teacher & principal at SC school arrested following sexual battery of children, police say."
