GREEN Charter Schools' Irmo campus is closing after abuse scandal. Here's what to know

A South Carolina charter school where two employees were arrested last year in connection with the sexual abuse of students is suspending operations. Enrollment at GREEN Charter Schools’ Midlands campus had nearly halved since the allegations surfaced.

Here are key takeaways:

• The board of GREEN Charter Schools voted to suspend operations at its Irmo campus and not enroll students for the 2026-2027 school year, citing operational, financial and enrollment factors.
• Enrollment at GREEN Midlands fell from more than 300 students in 2022-2023 to just 156 this past year, with most departures coming after the arrests of two school employees in February 2025.
• Sulaymaan Benoit, the school’s after-school director, was initially charged with eight counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving three students between the ages of 7 and 12.
• Principal Tina Shaw was charged with failure to report child abuse and two counts of assault and battery after police said she notified the school’s HR director but waited a week before informing law enforcement.
• Irmo Police Chief Bobby Dale said Shaw’s failure to report a second student who came forward during the school’s internal investigation also factored into the decision to arrest her, noting that mandated reporters who tell a human resources employee are not absolved of their duty to report.
• GREEN Charter Schools retained a criminal defense attorney for Shaw on the day of her arrest and had been billed more than $10,000 through mid-April 2025 for her legal defense.
• Benoit was hit with four additional counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor in April 2025, and charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor under age 11 in October 2025.
• Families of three children allegedly abused by Benoit filed a lawsuit against the school in November, with attorney Bakari Sellers arguing the school “sheltered this abuser” through neglect and failure to act.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.