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LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - A Midlands special education teacher is now on leave after recently being charged for an alleged incident involving a student. The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Sharon Sweatt was arrested Oct. 30 and charged with third-degree assault. As of Tuesday, Sweatt is listed as a special education teacher at Nursery Road Elementary School, which is part of Lexington-Richland School District Five. The district confirmed to WIS that Sweatt is currently on administrative leave. Documents provided by the sheriff’s department state a deputy on duty at the school was notified by the school’s principal and two teacher’s aides on Oct. 17 about a past incident involving Sweatt. According to an incident report, the teacher’s aide later told deputies they saw Sweatt “pop” students on the hand and behind as a form of discipline. The aide later defined a “pop” from Sweatt “as a slap or spanking" and they were “loud enough for her to hear it on the other side of the classroom.” The aide told of one instance where she reportedly heard a slapping sound and a student screaming from the next classroom over from Sweatt’s. They also cited another incident where a student began hitting, kicking and biting Sweatt. The aide reportedly saw Sweatt “pop” the student in the face to get them off her. A second aide told deputies they also saw similar discipline from Sweatt, referring to it as “smacking.” According to documents, the second aide said Sweatt would smack students “to get them to stop standing and climbing on the furniture in the classroom.” The second aide also cited an instance on Oct. 15 where a student was hitting and scratching Sweatt while not following directions. The aide reported seeing Sweatt grab the student by the belt loop of their pants and toss them “back into the carpeted area of the classroom,” according to the LCSD report. Documents state deputies were told the incidents happened as recently as Oct. 15. A parent was also informed and told the sheriff’s department they wanted to press charges if probable cause existed. Sweatt was booked at the Lexington County Detention Center after her arrest. She was later released on bond. Lexington-Richland School District Five provided the following statement to WIS on Tuesday: “School District Five of Lexington & Richland Counties is aware of allegations against a teacher at Nursery Road Elementary School. The teacher has been placed on administrative leave. School District Five is cooperating with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department in their investigation, but because of the ongoing investigation, School District Five will have no further comment at this time.” This is a developing story. Stay with WIS News 10 for updates. Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here. WATCH US LIVE Watch WIS live during newscasts and Soda City Living in the livestream player below. When WIS is not on the air, the player will feature Gray Media’s Local News Live.
