SC honor student charged, expelled after being attacked. Now, she’s suing
A Lower Richland High School cheerleader was assaulted and “tased” during a fight at the school last year and later expelled even though she was the victim, according to a lawsuit.
Now she’s suing Richland School District 1 and Sheriff Leon Lott.
She is the second Lower Richland cheerleader to claim she was the victim of a fight at the school in January 2024. Lower Richland also had more fights and assaults during the fall 2023 semester than any other high school in Richland and Lexington counties, according to an analysis by The State newspaper.
In the recent lawsuit filed on March 28, the plaintiff — described in the lawsuit as a highly-involved, high-achieving honor roll student who participated in nursing classes and cheerleading — said a former friend attempted to trip her and cause her to fall down a stairwell on Jan. 16, 2024.
The former friend continued to harass and bully the cheerleader, and on Jan. 26, 2024 , sent her “threatening” messages asking her if she wanted to fight. The cheerleader shared those messages that day with Lower Richland assistant principals Travis Robinson, Brandy Johnson, and Katrina Ladson, and school resource officer Jarvis Lessane.
But school officials did not take any action, according to the lawsuit.
The State has reached out to the cheerleader’s attorneys and the sheriff’s department for comment. Richland 1 declined to comment.
On Jan. 29, 2024, the former friend waited outside the high school for the cheerleader to leave. When she did, according to the lawsuit, she was “immediately jumped” and “assaulted, including being punched, having her hair pulled, and being (dragged) to the ground.”
Other students got involved while others tried to stop the fight.
According to the lawsuit, Principal Latanya Williams was the first district employee to show up. She did not attempt to break up the fight and radioed for back-up, and Robinson and a hall monitor responded. As the plaintiff was “carried away” by two other students, school resource officer Stanley Blackett responded and “dry-stunned” the plaintiff in her “already battered state,” the lawsuit alleges.
She did not receive any aid from staff or a school nurse after being assaulted and shocked with a Taser.
According to the lawsuit, Blackett falsely accused the cheerleader of being uncooperative. He is also individually named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Steffany Boyd, the plaintiff’s mother, attempted to contact Lott to report the use of the Taser, but was unsuccessful. So she filed an internal affairs complaint against Blackett, but it is unclear whether he was disciplined, according to the lawsuit.
The cheerleader was charged with third-degree assault and battery by mob. Despite being the victim of the attack, she completed a youth arbitration program, was placed on “sanctions” and had to complete 65 hours of community service because of the severity of the charge, the lawsuit said.
An expulsion hearing before the Richland 1 school board was set for Feb. 9, 2024, despite requests to reevaluate the incident, according to the lawsuit. On Feb. 13, 2024, the cheerleader was expelled from Lower Richland and was recommended to attend Olympia Learning Center, the district’s alternative school. The decision was later amended in favor of evening high school. It was not conducive to the plaintiff’s abilities, the lawsuit alleges.
She was also removed from the cheerleading team, classes necessary for her completion of the nursing program and her driver’s education program.
The plaintiff’s “grades have been negatively affected, as well as her post-high school educational plans, and her social life,” the lawsuit read.
The lawsuit accuses the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and Lott of gross neglience; Blackett of violating the plaintiff’s constitutional rights; and all parties of false imprisonment and arrest. It’s asking for a jury trial to award actual, special and punitive damages, attorney fees and any other relief the jury deems proper.
The fight referenced in the lawsuit happened within a week of another fight that left another honors student and cheerleader kicked out of Lower Richland.
Cierra Patterson, a then 17-year-old senior, told the school board that she was trying to break up a fight on Jan. 22, 2024, when she was attacked by a girl and her friend. She said no administration or security was present.
As a result of the fight, Patterson was referred to the district’s hearing board and then to Olympia Learning Center. But it did not have all the classes she needed that are featured in a traditional school. It was putting her graduation in jeopardy, Patterson said.
Her tearful plea with the Richland 1 school board went viral on TikTok last March, amassing over 2 million views, 300,000 likes and 17,000 comments.
Patterson, who said she was also a member of the South Carolina National Guard with a nearly 4.0 grade point average, had never received any disciplinary actions or referrals. She had plans to attend National Guard basic training before attending Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina to study criminal justice and and forensic psychology.
Patterson apologized to board members for her role in the fight, telling them she wished it never happened.
“My education, life and career are now all on the line,” Patterson said at the time, wiping away tears. “Graduation is in two months and three weeks, and prom is in one month and three weeks. I really hope to attend both. I just want to go back to school to catch up.”
The State’s analysis of assaults and fights at Midlands high schools showed that Lower Richland had 24 incidents in fall 2023. That was more than 26% of the 90 fights reported at 25 high schools in the two counties. White Knoll High School in Lexington District 1 had 19.
The violence led to two injured sheriff’s deputies at Lower Richland last year.
But the district told The State last year that Williams, Lower Richland’s principal, met with classes to discuss discipline and expectations of student conduct. The high school is also having more school staff present and visible in hallways and around campus throughout the school day, while school counselors are leading conflict resolution sessions and a behavior interventionist is working with students with discipline referrals on behavior plans.
“We are concerned about the number of assaults that have been reported at Lower Richland High School, but the school is taking proactive measures to address that issue to protect the safety of students and staff and ensure that teaching and learning can take place without disruption,” Richland 1 spokeswoman Karen York previously said in a statement. “Students are also encouraged to report any potential issues they may see or hear about to a staff member, a school resource officer or another adult to help prevent incidents from occurring.”
This story was originally published April 7, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
