Mother assaults student, SRO injured in separate school fights, SC sheriff says

Two unrelated school fights happened within minutes of one another on Friday, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office announced, one of which left a school resource officer injured.

At about 9:15 a.m., a school resource officer at R.E. Davis College Preparatory Academy on Eastern School Road contacted dispatch to report an ongoing fight and requested assistance.

A juvenile and their mother, 36-year-old Nessia Gibson, assaulted another student at the school, the sheriff said. Neither Gibson nor her children had permission to be in the area of the school where the assault happened.

Gibson was charged with assault and battery and disturbing schools, officials said. She was placed under arrest and transported to the sheriff’s detention center where she is awaiting a bond hearing. Her child, who was accused of assault, was detained and then released to a relative. They were petitioned in family court. Gibson’s other child was charged with public disorderly conduct.

In the other fight at about 9:22 a.m., administrators at Lakewood High School called 911 to report an assault. A 17-year-old student allegedly assaulted two students. When a school resource officer attempted to make an arrest, the 17-year-old struck and “wounded” the deputy.

The deputy was treated for his wound and released from Prisma Tuomey Hospital. He is expected to make a full recovery, officials said.

The 17-year-old, who’s name was not released by the sheriff’s office due to their age, was charged with assault and battery, resisting arrest and assault of a police officer. They were taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice and have been petitioned to Family Court.

“Schools must be safe places for our children to learn,” Sheriff Anthony Dennis said in a news release. “To ensure this, we have School Resource Officers assigned to each school and those juveniles and parents who cause disturbances will be held accountable.”

This story was originally published November 23, 2024 at 11:50 AM.

Alexa Jurado

The State

Alexa Jurado is a news reporter for The State covering Lexington County and Richland County schools. She previously wrote about the University of South Carolina and contributes to this coverage. A Chicago suburbs native, Alexa graduated from Marquette University and previously wrote for publications in Illinois and Wisconsin. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Milwaukee Press Club and the South Carolina Press Association.