Irmo High principal takes medical leave as school reels from string of fights, gropings
After recent controversies at Irmo High School, the principal has gone on medical leave.
The Lexington-Richland 5 school district has announced that Robin Hardy, the principal at Irmo High, is “currently on medical leave for the next several weeks.”
The message was sent out to Irmo High families and staff on Monday. Assistant Principal Kaaren Hampton, an Irmo High graduate and longtime district staffer, will serve as acting principal until Hardy’s return, the message said.
“We recognize the recent challenges the IHS school community has gone through,” Superintendent Akil Ross said in a statement. “We appreciate all the cooperation and support from staff, students, parents, and the community as we navigate the issues together.”
Irmo High School has struggled in recent weeks with reports of violence on campus and protests over a string of sexual harassment and assault allegations on campus.
Students staged a walkout Feb. 4 over concerns the school had not responded to numerous allegations of a student who had groped several classmates. Students spoke about feeling unsafe on campus and being disbelieved when they reported the incidents.
The walkout came the same week as an off-campus shooting that investigators believe could be tied to fights on campus. That led to a heavy law enforcement presence at the St. Andrews Road campus, exacerbating safety concerns in the school community.
Police reports detail that Irmo High had one of the highest rates of assault reports among comparable high schools in the Midlands last semester, at times leaving Irmo’s school resource officer overwhelmed.
Hardy had previously announced that she would be leaving Irmo High at the end of the school year after four years in charge. The district has said the fighting incidents were not related to Hardy’s departure from the school.
This story was originally published February 15, 2022 at 12:22 PM.
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