Trouble in Midland

As of early 2026, the South Carolina Public Charter School District (SCPCSD) has been involved in significant oversight and legal actions regarding GREEN Charter Schools, specifically focused on the Midlands campus.

The most critical updates involve a series of federal lawsuits and criminal charges stemming from allegations of child sexual abuse and a subsequent failure to report it.¹

1. Federal Lawsuits & Allegations of "Deliberate Indifference"

In late 2025, federal lawsuits were filed against both GREEN Charter School of the Midlands and the SCPCSD.²

• The Allegations: The families of three children (ages 7 to 11) allege that a former employee of the after-school program, Sulaymaan Benoit, sexually abused the children.³

• District Liability: The lawsuits claim that the SCPCSD, as the school’s authorizer/sponsor, demonstrated "deliberate indifference" and failed in its duty to protect students.⁴

• Official Misconduct: The lawsuits cite internal emails suggesting that school leadership consciously chose not to report multiple allegations to law enforcement as required by law.⁵

2. Criminal Charges Against School Leadership

The oversight actions are tied to criminal proceedings involving high-level staff:

• Principal Arrested: Dr. Tina Shaw, the principal of the Midlands campus, was arrested in February 2025 and charged with failure to report child abuse.⁶

• Employee Charges: Sulaymaan Benoit was charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.⁷ As of late November 2025, he was awaiting further bond hearings.

• School Response: Despite the charges, GREEN Charter Schools Executive Director Tom Cronin initially defended Dr. Shaw in communications to parents, which has become a point of contention in the ongoing legal battles.⁸

3. Financial and Operational Updates

Outside of the legal turmoil, the school network has continued its expansion and financial restructuring:

• Bond Funding: In December 2025, the South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority (JEDA) issued $12.1 million in bonds for GREEN Charter Schools.⁹ This allowed the network to purchase the building for the Spartanburg campus, transitioning from leasing to owning the facility.

• New Simpsonville Facility: The Simpsonville campus moved to a new building on Brookfield Blvd.¹⁰ in January 2025, expanding its capacity to serve grades K–7 for the 2025-2026 school year.

Summary of District Relationship

Aspect	Current Status
Legal/Oversight	The SCPCSD is a co-defendant in federal litigation regarding student safety and mandatory reporting failures.
Expansion	The District continues to authorize the network's growth, including new facilities in Spartanburg and Simpsonville.
Accountability	The SCPCSD Board of Trustees maintains its role in monitoring the financial and academic performance of the 8+ GREEN campuses across the state.

Sources:

1. Federal Civil Lawsuits

• Case Filings (November 2025): Multiple federal lawsuits were filed by the Strom Law Firm (represented by Bakari Sellers) and Evans Moore, LLC (James B. Moore III). These are documented in public court records and detailed by the law firms themselves as they represent the families of the victims.

• Official Allegations: These filings are the source for the claims of "deliberate indifference" by the school and the South Carolina Public Charter School District (SCPCSD).¹

  
  

2. Criminal Records and Police Reports

• Irmo Police Department: Public statements and press releases from Chief Dale (February and October 2025) confirm the arrests and specific charges against Dr. Tina Shaw (Failure to Report Child Abuse) and Sulaymaan Benoit (1st-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct).²

  
  

• Richland County Judicial Records: These provide the timeline for bond hearings and the dozens of sexual crime charges currently pending against Benoit.

3. Government and Authorizer Documentation

• SCPCSD Board of Trustees: The Board Agendas, Minutes, and Public Recordings (available at sccharter.org) from the November 2025 and January 8, 2026, meetings provide the source for the "Network Amendments" and "Executive Sessions" regarding the lawsuits.

• S.C. JEDA (Jobs-Economic Development Authority): An official news release from December 10, 2025, confirms the $12.1 million bond issuance specifically for the purchase of the Spartanburg campus facility.³

  
  

• South Carolina Legislature: The status of Charter School Reform is tracked through the S.C. State House website (scstatehouse.gov), specifically noting the priorities for the 2026 legislative session.

4. Local Journalism and Public Communication

• WLTX-TV (Columbia/Greenville): Extensive reporting from Walker Lawson and Nick Neville has covered the press conferences and parent letters.

• School Communications: Letters sent to parents by Executive Director Tom Cronin (e.g., the letter defending Dr. Shaw) have been cited in legal filings and subsequent news reports as evidence of the school's response.⁴

  
  

• Community Reports: Internal "budget cuts" and staff firings at the Greenville/Century Drive campus have been cross-referenced through parent-reported communications and local community forums (November 2025).

While I cannot provide a direct link to a PDF of the filings, the following information identifies the specific federal cases filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.

Federal Lawsuit Identifiers

The families of the victims are represented by Bakari Sellers (Strom Law Firm) and James B. Moore III (Evans Moore, LLC). According to legal notices from the firms in late November 2025, three separate federal civil rights lawsuits were filed.

While the court often uses "John Doe" or "Jane Doe" pseudonyms to protect the identities of the minor children, the following details will help you or a legal professional locate the exact dockets:

• Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina (Columbia Division).

• Primary Defendants: * GREEN Charter School of the Midlands (also listed as Global Renewable Energy Education Network).

  • South Carolina Public Charter School District (SCPCSD).

• Filing Dates: November 17–20, 2025.

• Allegations: Violation of Title IX, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Civil Rights), and "Deliberate Indifference" to student safety.

Related Criminal Case Records

If you are searching local county records for the underlying criminal actions that spurred the federal lawsuits, you can find them in the Richland County Public Index:

• State of South Carolina vs. Sulaymaan Benoit:

  • Charges: Multiple counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor (1st and 3rd Degree).

  • Status: Awaiting trial; bond was recently contested in November 2025 following new warrants.

• State of South Carolina vs. Tina Shaw:

  • Charges: Failure to Report Child Abuse (S.C. Code § 63-7-410) and Obstruction of Justice.

  • Status: Case remains active following her February 2025 arrest.

Where to Access the Documents

1. PACER: You can search the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) system for "Green Charter School" under the South Carolina District Court.

2. SCPCSD Board Portal: The South Carolina Public Charter School District website often posts legal updates or meeting minutes (specifically from the January 8, 2026, meeting) that summarize the status of these lawsuits.

3. Law Firm Press Rooms: The Strom Law Firm website has a dedicated section for the "Green Charter School Sexual Assault Lawsuit" which contains their official press statements and summaries of the filings.