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Report alleges student abuse weeks prior to administrative changeover

Published Tuesday, October 27, 2009 11:37 AM

By David Berman and Michael Tannebaum
Summerville Journal Scene ®

Authorities received word earlier this month of an alleged incident on Aug. 20 during which a Knightsville Elementary School staff member got physical with an eight-year-old student.

A woman saw the staff member grab the student by the hair and make him sit in a chair, according to a Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office incident report. The staff member then grabbed the boy’s arm so tightly, it left marks, the report alleges.

The woman who said she witnessed the incident described it to her psychologist Oct. 1, who in turn reported it to authorities the next day.

Two weeks after the report was filed, Dorchester District 2 removed the school’s principal, Anita Ruff-Putillion, and assistant principals, Mary Rita Watson and Les Kephart, from their posts.

A statement released Oct. 16 by district officials said the three administrators were removed because the team received knowledge of an alleged abuse/neglect incident perpetrated by a teaching assistant at that school and that after a thorough investigation, “it was determined the administrative team failed to report the alleged abuse/neglect to appropriate authorities.”

Dorchester 2 Public Information Officer Pat Raynor, on Monday, would not confirm or deny whether the alleged August incident was the one that administrators failed to report.

The psychologist reportedly told the sheriff’s office that her patient had “reported the incident to her higher authorities, and that it did not seem as if anything was being done about it.”

The woman told the psychologist that the staff member constantly targeted the student and that similar incidents had occurred, according to the report.

The case is still under investigation and no charges have been filed, Capt. James Nettles said.

The three administrators removed from their positions were reassigned to other schools in the district. Ruff-Putillion is now at Beech Hill Elementary School, Watson is at Oakbrook Elementary School and Kephart is employed at Gregg Middle School.

The teaching assistant who allegedly committed the abuse/neglect incident is no longer with the district, Raynor said.

Knightsville’s new principal is Wally Baird, who was working as an assistant principal at Beech Hill Elementary School. Claire Sieber and Nicole Ramsey, who were assistant principals at Spann Elementary School and Newington Elementary School, respectively, have assumed the assistant principal positions at Knightsville.

Contact Michael Tannebaum at 873-9424 ext. 215 or mtannebaum@journalscene.com
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