Former Hilton Head assistant principal sues school district, claiming ‘forced resignation’
A former assistant principal at the Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts is suing the county’s public school district following his sudden replacement last year, alleging district officials violated his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act and set out to remove him from his position.
Stephen Brock, 54, filed the employee discrimination lawsuit late last month. He was replaced in February 2024, shortly after colleagues accused him of being “under the influence of something” and a school safety officer found two unloaded handguns in the center console of his truck, which was parked on the elementary school campus.
At the time the handguns were discovered, it was a felony to bring weapons onto school property without a concealed weapon permit. Brock’s CWP had expired two months before officials found the firearms, but police did not bring charges forward because they believed he had begun the renewal process.
A change to South Carolina criminal statute in March 2024 made it legal to possess guns on school property without a permit, as long as owners store the weapons safely inside a vehicle.
Located near the island’s entrance, HHISCA is a Title I school with an enrollment of about 500 students between preschool and fifth grade.
What the lawsuit claims
The lawsuit says officials at the Beaufort County School District “set out to terminate (Brock’s) contract” after he asked his principal for help with seeking mental health counseling in January 2024. He told the principal he was “declining emotionally” and was drinking more heavily than usual while at home.
Although he claimed these issues had no effect on his performance at work, the school district immediately placed Brock on administrative leave, made “unsubstantiated observations” about his behavior and submitted him to drug tests, according to the court summons.
In response to the alleged “forced resignation,” Brock and his attorney are seeking damages in the form of lost wages and benefits, front pay or a reinstatement to his former job.
Brock was not criminally charged for the firearms found in his truck in February 2024. In unrelated court cases elsewhere in the state, he pleaded guilty last year to both careless and reckless driving.
Brian E. Arnold, a Greenville attorney who represents Brock, did not respond to multiple emails sent with questions. He specializes in employment law and teachers’ rights, according to his firm’s website.
Candace Bruder, a spokesperson for the Beaufort County School District, said the district could not comment on pending litigation.
The district’s policy handbook indicates that the presence of firearms on school property is grounds for termination at the discretion of the superintendent.
Final days on the job
On Feb. 8, 2024, shortly after Brock spoke to administration about his declining emotional state and heavier-than-usual alcohol use while away from work, human resources staff told Brock he was being placed on administrative leave because “they wanted to make sure he was fit for duty,” according to the court summons.
“At this point, (Brock) had done nothing to justify such action,” the lawsuit reads. “It was solely because (he) asked for mental health counseling.”
District personnel then reportedly took Brock’s keys, swiper and identification card that gave him access to the school.
The following day, Brock saw a psychologist who concluded he was “fit for duty,” the lawsuit says. He was informed the school district would pay for five counseling sessions and scheduled another appointment for the following week.
Brock returned to work Feb. 21 after school officials received a report from his psychologist. By then, he had stopped drinking and was prescribed an additional medication to help with anxiety and possible alcohol withdrawal, the lawsuit says.
During the workday on Feb. 28, the school’s security officer met privately with Brock and claimed officials had received reports of him “slurring his words” and “walking differently,” as well as one alleged occurrence of him falling asleep during a meeting, according to court documents.
The security officer then FaceTimed an HR employee from the district and turned the camera towards Brock, the lawsuit says. The HR representative reportedly said Brock “looked bad” compared to his appearance when he came back from leave, but Brock replied that he “felt great” and was a bit tired from the new medication.
HR informed Brock he would be placed on administrative leave again and was required to take a urinalysis and submit to a breathalyzer to determine his blood alcohol content, according to the lawsuit. The security officer allegedly refused to let Brock drive, so the officer followed the assistant principal to his truck so he could grab his keys.
That’s when the security officer looked in Brock’s truck and saw two “small empty boxes” of Crown Apple whiskey, which Brock explained he had placed in the vehicle so he could throw them away at a campsite where he had stayed over a previous weekend, the lawsuit says.
With Brock’s permission, the officer opened the truck’s center console to find two Smith & Wesson handguns: a 356 revolver and a 915 semi-automatic pistol, both unloaded. He also discovered five rounds that were compatible with the revolver, according to a sheriff’s office incident report.
Deputies said the weapons were properly stored, but they were confiscated at the request of the school district, a sheriff’s office spokesperson previously told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. In the lawsuit, Brock claimed the officers “did not have the right” to seize his firearms.
Brock’s teaching certification was not suspended following the incident, according to a disciplinary index from the South Carolina Department of Education.
This story was originally published March 12, 2025 at 2:07 PM.
