Case for SC Principal, elementary teacher facing child abuse charges will go to Grand Jury

Cases against an Ocean Bay Elementary special education teacher accused of unlawful conduct towards a child and a principal who allegedly failed to report it will go on to Grand Jury, an Horry County judge announced Friday.

Preliminary hearings for both the principal and teacher was held Friday morning at the Conway Central Jury Courthouse.

Grace McColgan, 60, is facing six counts of unlawful conduct towards a child, all incidents stemming from the 2021-22 school year where she was a special education teacher.

Ocean Bay principal Rebecca Schroyer is facing two counts of failing to report child neglect or abuse for incidents that happened in February that year.

Both were arrested and charged in early November, and released on bond.

In total, the incidents include hitting two children on the back of their heads, dumping a child out of a chair, rubbing hand sanitizer on an open wound, locking a child in a bathroom with no lights on, and hitting a child after they had hit her in a fit.

In McColgan’s preliminary hearing, defense attorney Kevin Hughes argued that there is no evidence of any child in the six incidents was harmed, either mentally or physically.

He also argued that Horry County Police Detective Paul Johnson, who took the stand, did not interview witnesses, and did not recall exact date and times for five of the six incident.

Johnson also told the courtroom that McColgan’s classroom consisted of many nonverbal students, and students who had moderate to severe special needs.

Two different teacher aides who had been present in the classroom allegedly reported the incidents, and at least one of them reported an incident to the Department of Social Services around September.

The South Carolina Attorney Generals office, which took over the case in early January, argued that McColgan admitted to most of the incidents.

When McColgan allegedly rubbed hand sanitizer in a child’s open wound in February, witness statements say she held the child’s arm to her side and said, “I’m gonna let it burn,” the attorney general’s prosecutor said.

After an hour of direct and cross examination, Hughes asked Judge Monte L. Harrelson to either dismiss the six charges or knock them down to cruelty to children charges, which are misdemeanors.

Harrelson said Hughes made good points, but moved the case to the Grand Jury, where there will be further proceedings.

In Schroyer’s case, defense attorney Morgan Martin argued that Schroyer took “swift action” in alerting the school district of the complaints.

However, an internal action to the school district’s human resources office was not sufficient, the Attorney General’s office argued.

By law, the prosecutor said, a mandatory reporter is required to contact either the Department of Social Services or law enforcement.

Martin asked the judge to dismiss the two charges as well, citing that the abuse that allegedly occurred was not supported by evidence or based in fact.

Harrelson moved the case over to Grand Jury as well, where a recommendation will be made.

A lawsuit was filed earlier this month against Ocean Bay Elementary School and the school district by a parent of one of the victims, stating that the school district failed to do anything about the incidents, even after McColgan was caught on video “punching a student.”

Both Schroyer and McColgan are still being paid by the school district, and McColgan’s teaching license has been temporarily suspended.

Before her arrest on child abuse allegations, McColgan had her license suspended and was placed on administrative leave eight months earlier.

Both are currently on administrative leave.

Schroyer’s legal fees are being paid for by the school district.

This story was originally published January 20, 2023 at 2:37 PM.