Erin Wheeler, South Carolina Whitmore School 2025 teacher of the year arrested, charged with child neglect after special education teacher repeatedly punching child in the forehead and upper body.
A South Carolina special education teacher crowned Teacher of the Year at her charter school in 2025, is accused of repeatedly punching a child, including in their forehead and upper body.
Erin Wheeler, 34, following her arrest last week appeared at a Lexington County court where she faced a charge of unlawful child neglect for allegedly striking the child on Nov. 27, KWQC reported.
South Carolina teacher awarded teacher of the year for embodying essence of outstanding educator
Wheeler, a teacher at South Carolina Whitmore School in Columbia, allegedly chased the child into a bathroom and continued punching them in the forehead and upper body as the victim sought to shield themselves from the teacher’s blows.
Police said the assault left the victim with bruising on their arms. Authorities noted the beat down did not occur on school grounds. Not immediately clear was the dynamic between the teacher and the child and where the alleged assault took place.
Charter school officials said they are aware of the allegations against Wheeler but emphasized the incident did not involve any of their students. The school, which educates students in grades 9 through 12, said the educator was placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.
Wheeler was named Whitmore School’s 2025 Teacher of the Year in March for embodying ‘the essence of an outstanding educator,’ Executive Director Kim Dunbar said in a statement.
‘Her innovative approaches to special education have not only transformed the learning experiences for her students but have also set a benchmark for excellence within our school,’ Dunbar said. ‘We are incredibly fortunate to have Erin as part of our team, and this award is a well-deserved acknowledgment of her hard work and impact.’
Special education teacher inspiration revealed
Three weeks prior to the alleged incident, Wheeler was featured across the Whitmore School’s various social media pages, advocating for how the school ’empowers students and changes lives.’
Wheeler earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Columbia College in 2014 and 2017, and began teaching at the Whitmore School in 2015.
Discussing her inspiration to specialize in special education, Wheeler mentioned her older sister being born deaf.
‘I often saw how differently she was treated when we were in public, and that did not sit well with me,’ Wheeler previously said at the time of her March, 2025, Teacher of the Year award.
‘I just wanted people to understand that there was not anything wrong with my sister, she just could not hear. Exceptionalities do not make a person helpless, less intelligent, or unworthy of respect.’
Wheeler as part of her $2500 bond release was issued a no contact order with her child victim.
