Educator certificate suspended for Horry County Schools teacher charged with deadly DUI
The state department of education has suspended the educator certificate of an Horry County Schools teacher after he was charged for a deadly DUI last week.
Michael Oerther, a math teacher at Ocean Bay Middle School, was arrested and charged after an alleged drunk driving crash that left a woman dead in Carolina Forest Oct. 25. He has a history of driving under the influence, according to documents from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
The S.C. Department of Education suspended Oerther’s educator certificate after concluding there’s “reason to believe that ... Mr. Oerther may pose a threat to the health, safety, and welfare of students,” documents from the department read. The certificate is suspended until a due process hearing or until the situation is resolved, the documents state.
Oerther has been placed on administrative leave from Horry County Schools, spokesperson Lisa Bourcier told The Sun News last week.
Police charged with felony driving under the influence resulting in death after a crash around 9:30 last Monday. Oerther was driving a Jeep on Carolina Forest Boulevard when he hit a Honda stopped at a traffic light, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol. A passenger in the Honda died in the collision, officials said.
Oerther was taken to the hospital and treated for injuries before being arrested.
This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 9:55 AM.
