Educators Exposed: Inside South Carolina’s School Discipline Files

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

As part of a new bimonthly FITSNews series tracking educator misconduct in South Carolina, we are reviewing the latest disciplinary actions taken by the S.C. State Board of Education (SCSBE) against teachers and other school officials in the Palmetto State.

In May and June of 2025, the board considered formal disciplinary action against 34 certified educators statewide. Of those cases, eight licenses were suspended — including those of seven teachers and one assistant principal — while two educators had their licenses revoked.

Six disciplinary orders stemmed from educator arrests — including serious allegations such as the sexual battery of a student, cruelty to children and off-campus crimes like exploitation of vulnerable adults, forgery and identity theft.

***

Four additional cases involved unprofessional conduct allegedly targeting students with disabilities. In one of the most egregious examples, a teacher was arrested and charged with assault and battery against three special needs students. Another three educators faced disciplinary action for the alleged physical assault and battery of students.

Three of the suspended educators were employed by the Greenville County School District (GCSD) — the state’s largest district with more than 77,000 students and 6,000 teachers. However, the geographic spread of these disciplinary cases makes one thing clear: educator misconduct is not confined to any one district or corner of the state.

***

***

VICTORIA KATHERINE MONTGOMERY

• Type: Summary Suspension
• Date: May 8, 2025
• Certificate: 304573
• Allegation: Arrested for sexual battery of a student (18+) under her direct supervision.
• School: Hilton Head Island High School
• District: Beaufort County School District
• Status: Certificate summarily suspended pending due process.

On May 3, 2025, 32-year-old Victoria Katherine Montgomery was arrested in Beaufort County and charged with sexual battery involving a student over the age of 18 – a felony offense under South Carolina law when a teacher holds direct supervisory authority over the student. The charge does not involve aggravated force or coercion.

Montgomery, an educator with more than eight years of experience, was released on a $25,000 bond and is currently awaiting trial. The Beaufort County School District placed her on administrative leave following the arrest. Five days later, on May 8, 2025, the South Carolina State Board of Education issued an order suspending her teaching license pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings.

***

CAITLYN DANIELLE MORGAN

• Type: Summary Suspension
• Date: May 29, 2025
• Certificate: 318967
• Allegation: Arrested for exploitation of a vulnerable adult, making false medical statements to DHHS (2 counts), forgery greater than $10,000, and criminal conspiracy.
• District: Greenville County School District
• Status: Certificate summarily suspended pending due process.

On February 27, 2025, Caitlyn Danielle Morgan, a 32-year-old educator in Greenville County, was arrested and charged with multiple felony offenses — including exploitation of a vulnerable adult, making false medical statements to the Department of Health and Human Services, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.

Morgan, who had just completed her first year as a teacher, was released on a $10,000 bond and is currently awaiting trial. Following her arrest, the school district placed her on administrative leave pending the outcome of legal proceedings. On May 29, 2025, the South Carolina State Board of Education suspended her educator’s license until the case is resolved.

***

STEPHEN BULLARD

• Type: Summary Suspension
• Date: May 13, 2025
• Certificate: 301814
• Allegation: Arrested in Robeson County, NC, in June 2023 for identity theft, false pretenses, uttering, and forgery. South Carolina action followed NC certificate suspension. Cases pending in NC court.
• District: Not currently specified—action based on North Carolina charges.
• Status: Certificate summarily suspended.

In June 2023, Stephen Bullard — a 40-year-old teacher at Red Springs High School in Robeson County, North Carolina — was arrested following a two-year investigation into an alleged fraud scheme. He was charged with six counts each of felony exploitation of a disabled or elderly adult, felony identity theft, and obtaining property by false pretenses, as well as one count each of misdemeanor common law uttering and misdemeanor forgery.

Bullard, a former Teacher of the Year, resigned from his position after the arrest. His North Carolina teaching certificate was subsequently suspended. The criminal case remains pending in North Carolina court.

On May 13, 2025, the South Carolina State Board of Education moved to suspend Bullard’s South Carolina educator license, citing the open criminal charges. The order prevents the seven-year educator from teaching in the Palmetto State while legal proceedings are ongoing.

***

ELEANOR STUBBS BISHOP

• Type: Summary Suspension
• Date: May 8, 2025
• Certificate: 222993
• Allegation: Arrested for three counts of unlawfully placing a child at risk or willful abandonment, assault and battery in the third degree.
• District: Greenville County School District
• Status: Certificate summarily suspended; placed on leave March 31, 2025.

On March 29, 2025, Eleanor Stubbs Bishop, a 42-year-old teacher in Greenville County, was arrested on three counts of unlawfully placing a child at risk or willful abandonment. Less than two weeks later, on April 10, 2025, she was arrested again — this time on two counts of third-degree assault and battery.

Bishop, a three-year educator with the Greenville County School District, was placed on administrative leave following her initial arrest. On May 8, 2025, the South Carolina State Board of Education suspended her teaching license pending the resolution of the criminal charges.

***

STEPHANIE SENIA STOKES

• Type: Suspension
• Date: June 3, 2025
• Certificate: 300299
• Incident: Allegedly falsified IEP records by copying prior-year documents; allegedly failed to update or support progress data.
• School: Plain Elementary School
• District: Greenville County School District
  Status: Certificate suspended for 2 years (June 3, 2025 – June 2, 2027).

In February 2022, Greenville County School District administrators were made aware of allegations that 56-year-old Stephanie Senia Stokes, a teacher at Plain Elementary School, was falsifying records the Individual Education Plans of students with disabilities.

“Specifically, it was found that Ms. Stokes had copied prior year IEP records and there was no data to support or confirm any progress towards goals reported,” the order of suspension for Stokes noted. “Additional instances were discovered where Ms. Stokes erased information from a student’s IEP and failed to update IEPs with necessary information.”

As a result of the findings, the veteran educator — who had taught for 13 years — was placed on administrative leave on February 24, 2022. She later resigned from her position, effective May 1, 2022.

On June 3, 2025, the South Carolina State Board of Education formally suspended her teaching certificate for a two-year period, from June 3, 2025, through June 2, 2027.

***

KEVIN E. PALMER

• Type: Revocation
• Date: June 3, 2025
• Certificate: 276469
• Incident: Fired for allegedly copying IEPs, failing to monitor student progress, and dishonest testimony.
• School: Baptist Hill Middle High School
• District: Charleston County School District
• Status: Certificate revoked; may reapply after 3 years with review.

Kevin E. Palmer, a 48-year-old special education teacher with more than two decades of experience and no prior disciplinary history, was terminated from his position at Baptist Hill Middle High School in the Charleston County School District on July 19, 2023. An internal investigation found that Palmer had failed to provide appropriate instruction to students with disabilities, relying instead on a “cut and paste” approach to Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and neglecting to monitor student progress.

According to the South Carolina State Board of Education, Palmer’s denials during the inquiry were “not credible.” While the district recommended a one-year suspension, the board opted for full revocation of his teaching certificate on June 3, 2025 — citing the severity of the misconduct, his professional experience, and his dishonesty.

Palmer will be eligible to reapply for certification after three years, but any such application would require a full character and fitness review.

***

TRACY MADARASZ

• Type: Suspension
• Date: June 3, 2025
• Certificate: 162883
• Incident: Arrested for 3 counts of assault and battery after making physical contact and threatening special education students.
• School: Andrews High School
• District: Georgetown County School District
• Status: Certificate suspended for 3 years (June 3, 2025 – June 2, 2028).

On September 12, 2024, 56-year-old Tracy Madarasz — a teacher at Andrews High School in the Georgetown County School District — was arrested on three counts of third-degree assault and battery after allegedly making inappropriate physical contact with three special education students over the course of a single day.

According to findings by the South Carolina State Board of Education, Madarasz became frustrated during class, striking one student on the buttocks with a broom and another with her hand. Later, she allegedly made threatening comments directed at the entire class — allegations she denied.

Following her arrest, Madarasz completed a pretrial intervention program, and the charges were formally dismissed. However, on June 3, 2025, the state board suspended her teaching license for three years — from June 3, 2025, through June 2, 2028.

***

VIRGINIA BENCH FORTNEY

• Type: Suspension
• Date: June 3, 2025
• Certificate: 229085
• Incident: Allegedly made inappropriate racial and personal comments to and about students; on one occasion, allegedly grabbed a student’s arm in an aggressive manner.
• School: Pendleton Elementary School
• District: Anderson School District 4 (Anderson County)
• Status: Certificate suspended for 2 years (June 3, 2025 – June 2, 2027)

On March 24, 2023, Virginia Bench Fortney — a 61-year-old special education teacher at Pendleton Elementary School — was accused of making inappropriate remarks about one of her special needs students, as well as racial comments about two others. Although Fortney did not explicitly admit to the comments, she acknowledged the possibility, stating that she “frequently teased students.” She was counseled at the time regarding her conduct.

However, on August 3, 2023, Fortney was again reported for misconduct — this time for allegedly grabbing a student by the arm in an aggressive manner and making additional inappropriate comments.

Fortney, a 12-year teaching veteran, resigned from her position during the district’s investigation into the allegations. On June 3, 2025, the South Carolina State Board of Education suspended her teaching certificate for two years — from June 3, 2025, through June 2, 2027.

***

MICHAEL WAYNE EDWARDS

• Type: Permanent Voluntary Surrender (Consent Order)
• Date: June 3, 2025
• Certificate: 262125
• Incident: Arrested for third degree assault and battery and cruelty to children after allegedly using inappropriate physical force to remove a student from a PE activity.
• District: Lancaster County School District
• Status: Certificate permanently surrendered and revoked.

On March 21, 2025, 64-year-old Michael Wayne Edwards — a veteran educator with more than 34 years of experience — was arrested on charges of third-degree assault and battery and cruelty to children following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct.

“Specifically, it was reported that Mr. Edwards used inappropriate physical force when forcibly removing a student from a physical education activity,” according to the state board.

Rather than contest the allegations, Edwards waived his right to a hearing and voluntarily agreed to permanently surrender his educator license through a consent order accepted by the board on June 3, 2025.

He surrendered his license without admitting guilt. The criminal charges against him remain pending.

***

TYRONE AIKEN JR.

• Type: Suspension (Consent Order)
• Date: June 3, 2025
• Certificate: 282776
• Incident: Allegedly made inappropriate comments to multiple female subordinates. Following an investigation, he resigned his position.
• School: Abner Creek Middle School
• District: Spartanburg School District Five (Spartanburg County)
• Status: Certificate suspended for 1 year (June 3, 2025 – June 2, 2026); must complete NASDTEC Prevention and Correction course prior to reinstatement.

On August 8, 2024, Tyrone Aiken Jr. — a seven-year educator and assistant principal at Abner Creek Middle School in Spartanburg County School District Five — was placed on administrative leave following allegations that he made inappropriate comments to multiple female subordinates.

A district investigation “determined that the available evidence substantiated the allegations.” Aiken resigned his position one week later, effective August 15, 2024.

On June 3, 2025, the South Carolina State Board of Education entered into a consent order with Aiken, suspending his educator license for one year.

***

FITSNews will continue to monitor disciplinary actions from the SCSBE and report on the individuals, institutions, and accountability gaps that allow this misconduct to occur.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Callie Lyons is a relentless investigative journalist, researcher, and author known for exposing hard truths with heart and precision. As a journalist for FITSNews, she dives into high-profile and murky cases—like that of Mica Francis Miller— with fearless resolve and a sharp eye for detail, whether it’s tracking white-collar crime, uncovering religious abuse, or examining the often-bizarre behavior of those who believe they’re above the law.

Callie made waves with her groundbreaking 2007 book Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal, the first to reveal the dangers of forever chemicals, a story that helped inspire the film Dark Waters and influenced global scientific dialogue. Her work has appeared in numerous documentaries, including Toxic Soup, National Geographic’s Parched: Toxic Waters, and more recently Citizen Sleuth, which examines the complexities of true crime podcasting.

Whether she’s navigating environmental disasters or the darker corners of society, Lyons operates with one guiding belief: “Truth never damages a cause that is just.”

***

WANNA SOUND OFF?

Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.