Two students taped to their chairs at middle school in Gaston; substitute teacher charged

A substitute teacher has been charged with cruelty to children after two students were taped to their chairs last week at a Lexington County middle school.

The two male students allegedly were taped to their desk chairs, and their hands also were bound by tape at Sandhills Middle School in Gaston on Thursday, Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said in a news release Saturday.

The substitute teacher in charge of the class, Janeen Suzette Clark, 26, of Irmo, was charged with two counts of cruelty to children, Koon said.

Clark allegedly taped shut the mouth of one of the students and allowed a fellow student to tape the second student to a chair, Koon said.

The school notified the sheriff’s office about the incident, which prompted an investigation.

She was booked at the county jail Saturday and released on her own recognizance, the sheriff said.

This story was originally published December 3, 2016 at 7:15 PM with the headline "Two students taped to their chairs at middle school in Gaston; substitute teacher charged."