Ocean Bay Elementary principal’s license could be revoked by state department of education
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office is shifting its prosecution case of an Ocean Bay Elementary principal to the state’s department of education.
Attorney General’s spokesperson Robert Kittle said Wednesday that Rebecca Schroyer’s case has been referred to the South Carolina Department of Education for an administrative review of her credentials.
Kittle would not elaborate further on the reasons why the attorney’s general office made the decision not to continue its prosecution in the case.
A message to Schroyer’s attorney, Morgan Martin, also was not immediately returned.
Schroyer was scheduled to have a hearing Thursday in the case. The hearing was canceled after the attorney general’s decision.
Laura Bayne, deputy superintendent of strategic engagement for the department of education, said Thursday that she cannot confirm or deny that the department has been referred Schroyer’s case.
She said a state regulation prevents her from discussing pending educator certifications.
Bayne said when a case is referred, an investigation is launched by staff, who interview witnesses and other facts of the case, which are then presented to internal staff. If it is recommended that action be taken against an educator’s license, then the educator is notified and they have the opportunity to discuss options or request a hearing. Ultimately, the state board has the authority to dismiss the case or revoke the license, Bayne said.
The process can take as short as three months or as long as a year, Bayne said. However, such cases usually don’t go that long, she said.
Schroyer was charged last year with two counts of failing to report child neglect — a misdemeanor charge that carries a penalty of six months in prison and a $500 fine. The attorney general’s office was prosecuting the case.
Schroyer’s arrest came in conjunction with charges against special education teacher Grace McColgan, who was accused of unlawful conduct toward children related to multiple occasions.
McColgan was charged in the incident that involved her putting hand sanitizer in a child’s open wound and hitting students. She pleaded guilty July 13 to charges involving child neglect and was sentenced to 30 concurrent days in jail.
Schroyer, who has been with Horry County Schools since 2001 and named principal of Ocean Bay Elementary in 2016, was placed on administrative leave with pay, according to the school district in November. Schroyer still has her teaching certificate, which will expire if not renewed on June 30, 2024, according to personnel files.
The district announced last month that Schroyer would not return as principal of Ocean Bay Elementary this school year as she is still on administrative leave pending criminal charges.
It is unclear if Schroyer will now be allowed to return to the school or if she will remain on administrative leave. A message Thursday to Horry County School District spokesperson Lisa Bourcier was not immediately returned.
