SC high school football coach on leave after Upstate summer camp fight
An altercation at a summer football camp involving several South Carolina high school students left one person injured, and several others with criminal charges. Now the school’s head football coach is on leave, according to media reports.
The Pickens County school district said Chris Stone, who became the coach at D.W. Daniel High School in April, was placed on leave after the July 7 fight at Presbyterian College, according to media reports.
Presbyterian College was hosting a summer football camp for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes when numerous student athletes from D.W. Daniel High School got into a fight.
The school district said earlier this week that it is committed to a thorough review of the situation and an investigation of the Daniel football program. Because of student privacy laws, the district said it is unable to provide specific details about the students involved or the disciplinary actions taken.
The school board issued a statement Tuesday saying it was informed last week of a “very serious incident.” The incident “resulted in the injury of one student and criminal charges for several students,” the statement said. It gave no details about the criminal charges.
“The board is appalled,” the statement said.
Board members said they expect the district administration to continue investigating the matter “from the top down,” including staff, student and programmatic issues.
“This incident will NOT be swept under the rug, and all appropriate corrective and disciplinary actions will be taken,” the board said in a statement.
A video of the incident, which was obtained by The State, shows at least two students attacking another student, hitting him with multiple punches. After the student being attacked lands on the floor, another student hits him at least four times, according to another video posted by WIS-10.
After an initial investigation, the Presbyterian College Campus Police referred the case to the state Department of Juvenile Justice and the 8th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, officials said. The 8th Circuit includes Laurens County, the home of Presbyterian College.
David Stumbo, the 8th Circuit solicitor, said his office is working closely with the law enforcement agencies and the Department of Juvenile Justice.
“We will provide updates on the case when appropriate and as state law allows,” Stumbo said in a statement.
Asked Tuesday about any criminal charges, a spokesman for the solicitor’s office said he wouldn’t be able to answer any questions.
Attorneys with the Moorhead Lefevre Law Firm and the Kyle J. White Law Firm, which represent the family of the student who was attacked, said they are looking for any information about the incident or evidence that might be helpful in the ongoing investigation.
This story was originally published August 1, 2025 at 2:24 PM.
