Social media threats, teacher shortage cause Midlands high school to go online
A Midlands high school switched to an e-learning schedule Friday due to a large number of teacher absences because of safety concerns.
A spokesperson for Lexington-Richland 5 school district confirmed classes at Irmo High School are being held online Friday because of a large number of teachers calling out at the school. The absences are related to threatening social media posts and rumors of some kind of activity happening at the school Friday, said district spokeswoman Laura McElveen.
“There were not enough substitutes available, and because of that we couldn’t operate safely” with in-person instruction, McElveen said.
The Lexington County Sheriff’s Office confirmed investigators are looking into comments made by a currently suspended Irmo High student in an online video. Captain Adam Myrick said deputies are unaware of any direct threats made against the school, and no charges have been made at this time.
“We’ll continue to work with Lexington-Richland 5 School District leaders to ensure Irmo High teachers, staff and students remain safe and secure when they return to campus Monday,” Myrick said.
In addition to the schedule change Friday, McElveen said Irmo High will operate on a two-hour delay Monday so that a staff meeting with administrators can be held to address teachers’ concerns about safety on campus.
This story was originally published September 24, 2021 at 10:59 AM.
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