Special-needs teacher arrested

ST. GEORGE -- Police have arrested an elementary school teacher accused of twice grabbing a special-needs student by the neck and forcing him into a chair.

Rosemary Mills, 59, of Arbor Road in Summerville, is charged with unlawful conduct toward a child, said St. George police Lt. Allen Kinsey. Mills was released on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond set Tuesday by Dorchester County Magistrate Jackie G. Jenkins.

Mills is a special-needs teacher at Williams Memorial Elementary School.

A parent on Oct. 14 saw Mills grab a 10-year-old boy behind the neck and shove him into a chair, according to a police report. The teacher was "screaming and hollering" while pushing the child into a chair, Kinsey said. The boy stood up, and Mills again forced him down by the neck, the report said.

The parent told police that a few minutes later, the teacher told the boy to get up and put his book bag away. When the child got up, Mills shoved him toward a wall where the bags are kept, the report said.

The parent complained to school officials the same day.

The incident was brought to the attention of police on Oct. 28, when Nancy Britt, director of human resources for Dorchester District 4, went to police headquarters and filed a report.

Mills had been suspended when the incident was first reported to school officials, the report said.

Valerie Anderson, secretary to the superintendent for the school district, said the teacher was put on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.

Diane Knich and David W. MacDougall contributed to this report. Reach Andy Paras at aparas@postandcourier.com or 937-5589.