Irmo Teacher Arrested for Allegedly Hitting Students
IRMO, S.C. – Big headlines are buzzing in the quiet town of Irmo after a middle school teacher was arrested for allegedly hitting not one, but two students. Jermaine Cornelius Singletary, a 51-year-old educator, turned himself in to local authorities on Wednesday and is now facing two counts of third-degree assault.
What Happened?
Details have emerged from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, which shared their incident reports. The first of these incidents took place back in March. According to the reports, a student approached Singletary from behind and began to rub his head—an act that the teacher didn’t seem to take too kindly. As Singletary turned around, he claimed that he swung his arm out of reflex and accidentally struck the student.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. In his statement, Singletary reportedly apologized to the student, indicating he believed that the student shouldn’t have been touching him at all. However, the incident didn’t end there. Allegedly, a week or two later, Singletary told his class, “Of course, you’ll get smacked trying that again”, hinting at potential consequences for similar behavior.
Escalating Tensions
Following the incident, the student involved began to act out in class. When told to put his phone away, he allegedly yelled at Singletary, saying he should “get fired for hitting me.” Tensions continued to rise as the student proclaimed, “You shouldn’t have hit me, and I’ll grab your head again.” Singletary did not back down, responding that the student “would get smacked if [he] tried that again,” suggesting a cycle of aggression was forming.
The Second Incident
Fast forward to October, and another incident reportedly occurred. Singletary allegedly hit a different student after that student retrieved their school project from the trash. As the teacher explained, he had instructed students not to break their projects apart as it posed a “safety issue.” However, when a group of students ignored him, he decided to take action and threw the project in the trash.
But when the student picked the project back up, Singletary claimed that he had called the student’s name several times to put it back in the trash. Reports suggest that he struck the student twice on the shoulder with an open hand when the student continued to ignore him. How’s that for classroom management?
School District’s Response
The Lexington-Richland School District 5 has issued a statement saying they learned about the arrest and are fully complying with law enforcement during the investigation. Currently, Singletary is on administrative leave pending further developments in the case.
As parents and community members absorb this shocking news, questions are swirling about student-teacher interactions and how classroom environments are managed. How should educators handle misbehavior, and what constitutes appropriate discipline?
Looking Ahead
As this story continues to unfold, many are eager to see how it will affect not only the educational atmosphere but the larger community in Irmo, where incidents like this are rare.
It’s a head-turning situation that raises important questions about behavior management and student safety in schools. Let’s hope for a resolution that prioritizes the wellbeing of both students and educators.
