SC school janitor assaulted student with special needs, lawsuit says
A student with special needs at a South Carolina high school was assaulted by a janitor, according to a lawsuit, which also claims school officials knew about the allegations, but kept him employed.
The student, who attended Columbia High School in Richland School District 1, was preparing the concession stand for a basketball game in January 2023 with her friend when a school janitor approached her and made sexual advances, according to the lawsuit filed May 28, before being “groped” by her breasts without her consent.
The janitor, who was not named in the lawsuit, had a reputation for making sexual comments towards and regarding minors, the lawsuit said.
The student reported the “unwanted touching” to her family, a school resource officer and law enforcement, according to the lawsuit. The State has requested any potential incident reports filed with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department regarding the lawsuit’s allegations.
She said she felt “unsafe” around the janitor.
But the janitor remained an employee of the school, the lawsuit said.
District spokesperson Karen York declined to comment on the pending case. Darius Stephens-York, attorney for the student’s parent, was not immediately available.
The lawsuit claims the student’s teachers, teacher’s aide and the Columbia High School administration failed to protect her from abuse of adult employees, which resulted in her physical assault.
Furthermore, Richland 1 and Columbia High School officials knew the janitor was dangerous and that the students could suffer harm without proper supervision of him. The hiring and retention of the employee was “reckless” and “grossly negligent,” the lawsuit alleged, and the district failed to supervise and control the employee.
The student suffered physical, mental and emotional harm and will continue to suffer from the distress caused. She and her family are seeking actual and special damages, and any other relief the court deems appropriate.
This story was originally published June 9, 2025 at 1:56 PM.
