Colleton County, SC—On March 30, 2026, a Kelly Services Employee contracted by the Colleton County School District as a teacher assistant was arrested and charged with three counts of unlawful conduct toward a child following an investigation into allegations of physical assaults involving a special need student. The investigation was initiated on March 20, 2026, after the incident was reported to the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office.
John Alfred Stephens, Jr. (58) of Walterboro has since been taken into custody and is currently being held at the Colleton County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing.
Kelly Services partners with the Colleton County School District to provide substitute services for teachers, custodians, and student nutrition staff at all district schools. The Press and Standard contacted Kelly Services for a statement regarding this incident and Kelly Services provided the following:
“The safety and well-being of students across the Colleton County School District are our top priorities, and we are committed to providing a secure and productive educational environment for all students. We take all reports of inappropriate behavior by our substitute educators seriously and work closely with our school partners and law enforcement to ensure reports are thoroughly investigated.
Our screening procedures meet and exceed South Carolina Department of Education’s standards to include comprehensive background checks, covering county criminal records, national criminal records, the National Sex Offender Registry, and crimes against children. In addition to state standards, our vetting system strictly adheres to all district requirements, ensuring we maintain the highest safety standards.
The former substitute educator passed all screenings prior to employment and is no longer an employee of Kelly Education.”
Teacher Assistant Charged with
