COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Following the arrests of three Midlands educators this week, many are asking how to talk to children about abuse and keep them safe.
In one case, Sulaymaan Benoit, a teacher at Irmo’s Green Charter School of the Midlands, was arrested and accused of fondling 3 students, ages ranging from seven to 12.
The school’s principal, Tina Shaw, was arrested as well, and charged with failure to report child abuse.
Luther Truluck, a Beechwood Middle School teacher in Lexington County School District One, is accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old.
“It can’t just get swept under the rug, these are our children,” Irmo Police Chief Bobby Dale said at a press conference announcing the arrests of Benoit and Shaw. “This is going to affect them for the rest of their lives.”
Experts with Pathways to Healing, an organization offering free, 24/7 support for survivors of sexual assault and abuse in the Midlands, say the most important thing to do in these types of situations is for parents to start the conversation with their children.
“This is not just hard for the victim, it is really, really hard for the parent or teachers or we refer to as secondary survivors who are attached to that victim because it’s very traumatizing for them too,” Pathways to Healing’s Executive Director Rebecca Lorick said.
Lorick said traumatic events like the ones this week speak to the importance of parents having strong relationships with their children.
“One of the things that we really talk to parents about is just having open conversations about healthy relationships and healthy boundaries,” she said.
Lorick said those conversations can start as young as three years old.
She says questions parents can ask children can start as simple as “How was your day? Who are your teachers? Who are you around?”
But, Lorick said, parents should not stop there.
“Not just asking, ‘Hey, did somebody touch you inappropriately?’” she said. “Because again, some children might not think that it’s inappropriate because of the grooming process, but asking pointed questions about ‘Has someone touched your private area?’ It’s very important to ask those important questions because you’re going to get the answer of child abuse, and then if there is a disclosure, to make sure that those things are reported to law enforcement or the appropriate authorities.”
Lorick said there can be fear and stigma associated with abuse, which is why, she believes, open communication and pointed questions are key.
“I know as a parent myself, sometimes it’s difficult to have those conversations and ask the difficult questions, but it’s key,” she said. “Because so often we see children who are being abused who are so afraid to say anything and if we are not asking questions, they’re not just going to come right out and say it because there’s fear associated with that, there’s stigma associated with that, there’s shame associated with that.”
Irmo police said since details of the initial investigation were released on Benoit, investigators are looking into the potential of three additional victims.
They encourage anyone with additional information about the situation at Green Charter to come to them.
Shaw’s attorney Jonathan Harvey said in a statement, “It is important not to rush to judgement until there is a knowing and complete review of all the circumstances related to this matter, and I’m confident that the process will play out in a favorable manner for my client.”
Shaw has a preliminary hearing scheduled at the beginning of April.
WIS reached out to Green Charter’s executive director Tom Cronin Thursday for an additional response about Shaw, given the judge’s order that she not be within 1,000 yards of the school.
Cronin has not yet replied.
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