GREENWOOD, S.C. — A South Carolina special needs middle school teacher has been arrested after investigators say they found bruises on a student.
Joel Mark Leckie, 55, of Clinton, is charged with three counts of abuse of a vulnerable adult and two counts of cruelty to children.
Leckie worked as a special needs teacher at Northside Middle School in Greenwood.
Deputies say a School Resource Officer received reports on February 27th of bruises on one of the students, and proceeded to conduct interviews and gather evidence. Investigators continued the investigation and say Leckie was taken into custody Friday without incident .
“The safety and security of our students is always our top priority, and we will continue to work with our school districts to conduct thorough investigations,” said Greenwood County Sheriff Dennis Kelly.
Investigators ask anyone with information on the situation to call the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office at (864) 942-8600, Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC or email tips@greenwoodsc.gov.
