Second Hilton Head teacher sues student’s parent for defamation over ‘grooming’ claims
A second Beaufort County school teacher is suing a parent for defamation over “grooming” claims, arising from a classroom discussion on a book about modern-day slavery. This comes as South Carolina’s political climate heats up over book bans and educational content ahead of the upcoming election.
In the span of a month, two Hilton Head Middle School teachers — Mardy Burleson and Kathleen Harper — have sued Hilton Head resident David Cook for defamation, alleging he called them “groomers” — defined as a predator who builds a relationship with a child to abuse them — on social media.
The previously reported harassment by Cook occurred during the movement to ban books in Beaufort County schools, which garnered national media attention including from CBS News’ 60 Minutes. Cook supported the ban, claiming the 97 books pulled from school libraries were inappropriate and pornographic. Ultimately, five books were removed from school shelves.
Attorney Meg Phelan of the Equality Legal Action Fund, a group consisting of volunteer attorneys and advocates who represents educators, public officials, elected officials and members of the LGBTQ+ community against defamation, took on both Burleson and Harper’s case pro-bono. Harper’s suit was filed Sept. 26.
“The way that our climate is right now with educators and with LGBTQ policies has created an interesting challenge just because it’s a polarizing issue,” Phelan said, adding that the complexities of defamation and First Amendment law are always present in this type of case.
It is unclear if Cook has an attorney; however, when asked about the defamation cases, Cook responded by text message with “no comment.” Cook has been served with the lawsuit in Burleson’s case, Phelan said, and the service for Harper’s case has been issued but it is unknown if he has received it.
The school district is unable to comment on pending litigation, according to Beaufort County School District spokesperson Candace Bruder, but it is known that Cook is not allowed on school property after details of the harassment were made public. However, Cook is still allowed to pick-up and drop-off his children and attend school board meetings. For any additional access to school campuses, he must contact Director of Protective Services David Grissom.
Harper’s Case Unpacked
Harper, a literacy instructional coach at Hilton Head Island Middle School, was covering for an eighth-grade English Language Arts teacher who went on an extended leave, according to the lawsuit. The ELA classes were completing a unit called “The Long March to Freedom,” part of the Beaufort County School District curriculum, which included a research component on modern-day slavery.
One of the texts, pulled from BCSD’s digital resource, was a firsthand account of a Kenyan teenage girl who had been subjected to modern-day slavery, including forced marriage and genital mutilation, according to the lawsuit. When a student asked what female circumcision was, Harper explained that it was a “barbaric practice that happens in some African villages, and is part of the way this young girl is being exploited.”
Cook’s daughter was a student in one of Harper’s eighth-grade ELA classes. On March 8, 2023, Cook emailed Harper, requesting an urgent meeting without disclosing the subject matter, according to the lawsuit. Harper, unable to meet immediately, asked for clarification on the purpose of the meeting and offered to schedule a meeting for March 13. Cook refused to wait, according to the lawsuit, citing district policy to demand an immediate meeting and threatening to “go beyond the school district” if Harper did not comply. Cook also requested access to all curriculum materials used in the class, both past and future.
The lawsuit continues that over the next few days, Cook escalated the issue by emailing school administrators, including Chad Cox, the district’s executive director. Cox responded to Cook, explaining that Harper was temporarily covering for a teacher on leave. Cook demanded a formal meeting and asked that an additional staff member be present to report any claims of abuse that may be surfaced during the session.
After learning about the text on female genital mutilation and feeling his concerns were not addressed, Cook began a campaign of defamatory statements against Harper, according to the lawsuit. Cook made numerous accusations via email, social media and during Beaufort County Board of Education meetings, claiming that Harper had engaged in illegal behavior and violated district policies.
Cook’s accusations intensified throughout March 2023, as he accused Harper of violating multiple laws, including the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment and South Carolina’s education statutes, according to the lawsuit. By late March, he accused Harper of retaliating against his daughter by lowering her grade and destroying one of her assignments. Cook then directed his allegations to Frank Rodriguez, the BCSD superintendent, accusing Harper of “grooming” students.
Cook escalated his accusations by linking Harper to the “grooming” of children, reposting infographics and articles from right-wing groups like Moms for America on social media and continuing to accuse Harper of inappropriate behavior in emails to BCSD administrators. Cook also posted on Facebook that Harper had committed crimes against his daughter and other students, calling her a “groomer” and saying she should have her teaching certification revoked. He repeated these accusations at a Beaufort County Board of Education meeting on August 1, 2023, publicly alleging that Harper engaged in grooming and harassment.
Harper claims that Cook’s statements are false, defamatory and intended to harm her reputation as a public school teacher, according to the lawsuit. She alleges that Cook’s relentless campaign of character attacks has caused her significant professional and personal damages and that his actions are part of an effort to prevent her from teaching what he views as a “leftist” or “woke” agenda. She is asking for actual and special damages, as well as punitive damages, to deter the defendants from engaging in such behavior in the future.
For more information on the process of a defamation case as it pertains to Harper’s case, click here.
This story was originally published October 1, 2024 at 11:28 AM.
