Horry Schools special ed teacher ‘groomed,’ sexually assaulted student, lawsuit alleges
Horry County Schools is once again facing allegations of serious misconduct by one of its special education employees, now involving an alleged inappropriate student-teacher sexual relationship.
The parents of a Socastee High School special needs student discovered the sexual misconduct involving their son and his teacher, Rachel Gray, in late March and informed the school district, according to a lawsuit filed Monday. The identities of the parents and their son, described as 15 or 16 years old and diagnosed with multiple psychological disorders and disabilities, are kept anonymous in the filing.
When the district became aware of the allegations, Horry County Police were immediately notified to conduct an investigation, according to HCS spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier. Gray resigned April 18, she added, declining to comment further due to the pending litigation.
Gene Connell, an attorney representing Gray, told The Sun News that none of the allegations in the lawsuit are true, pointing out that anyone can include any allegation they want in a lawsuit.
“It’s just a piece of paper,” he said.
Gray, who could not immediately be reached, had been a Socastee High special education teacher since at least the 2016-17 school year, according to records previously acquired by The Sun News, and was appointed head coach of the Socastee women’s volleyball team in 2019.
Her teaching certification is listed as active as of Tuesday, according to online S.C. Department of Education records, though her district is listed as unknown.
Gray “groomed” the student with “preferential treatment,” including completing his homework assignments, sending him messages on Snapchat and inflating his grades before the inappropriate sexual behavior began in the spring, according to the lawsuit.
“This included keeping John Doe in her class after other students were dismissed and sexually assaulting him,” the complaint states, “sending sexual messages and nude pictures to John Doe via Snapchat, and tracking his location on his phone.”
The district’s investigation included interviews with other students, and an employee revealed during those interviews the identity of “John Doe,” which led to him being harassed by other students, according to the suit.
The student’s parents allege the district failed to take appropriate action after being informed of the inappropriate relationship and have even retaliated by suspending him, the complaint states.
Joshua Slavin, an attorney representing the family, told The Sun News the district has refused to respond to the parents’ requests for information about its investigation or move the student to a different school. The student has been removed from Gray’s classroom, Slavin confirmed.
Slavin said police have been contacted about the allegations, but he was not aware of the status of any investigation. No charges have been filed against Gray, and an Horry County Police spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for information about any investigation at the high school.
Other special needs abuse allegations
The lawsuit is just the latest in a long line of recent allegations involving HCS special education employees harming their students.
Three employees have been arrested this year, including special education teachers at Ocean Bay Elementary and St. James Intermediate, for allegedly hitting or physically restraining students.
There have also been 12 other lawsuits filed against the district since 2018 alleging damages suffered by a student receiving special education services, according to a review of online court records.
Chris Sullivan, a longtime local special needs advocate, said she believes it is imperative for the district at this point to respond with facts and a plan about what they’re doing to prevent these issues from continuing.
“I don’t know how much more families can take,” she said. “I’m sure families are worried dropping their students off at school, (wondering) when is it going to be (their child).”
