BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–According to the Berkeley Co. Sheriff’s Office, a teacher at Cross High School has been arrested and charged with three counts of sexual battery of a student.
Dan Moon, spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, says 29-year-old Ellen Lindsay Niemiec of Summerville, turned herself into at the sheriff’s office this afternoon. She will appear before a bond court judge this evening at 7 at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center in Moncks Corner.
Moon says the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office had been investigating this case since receiving a complaint on April 28, 2014. He says an investigation revealed that three students had been victimized. Based on the ages of the students, he says two of the charges are felonies and one is a misdemeanor.
Authorities say the investigation revealed that this conduct had been going on for several weeks prior to the sheriff’s office being notified by the school principal.
After the arrest, Susan Haire, spokesperson for the Berkeley Co. School District issued a statement.
“The safety of all students is the top priority of the Berkeley County School District,” said Haire. “Under no circumstances does the Berkeley County School District condone or tolerate any inappropriate conduct between its employees and students.”
Haire says that when the administration learned of concerns with an employee’s alleged conduct, the employee was placed on administrative leave and the district reported the matter to law enforcement to begin an investigation.
“Since that time, the district has cooperated completely with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office in its investigation, and we appreciate the sheriff’s office ongoing cooperation,” said Haire.
Haire confirmed that Niemiec is no longer an employee of the district.
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