Kingstree teacher charged with indecent exposure, school district terminates employment

KINGSTREE—Kingstree Elementary School teacher David Tisdale has been charged for indecent exposure from an incident in 1993 involving a former student and his employment with the Williamsburg County School District has been terminated.

Tisdale, who was under investigation earlier this year for the soliciting sex from a student online, was arrested last week and subsequently released on bond. The school district’s Board of Trustees voted to terminate the Kingstree Elementary teacher at their Aug. 20 meeting. Tisdale had been on administrative leave since April of this year while an investigation into the online claims was conducted.

While he was cleared of the online accusations, the arrest occurred after the 1993 incident was revisited during the course of the new investigation. Kingstree police said the student involved in 1993 contacted local authorities in relation to the incident earlier this year. Police said the student had accused Tisdale of taking him into the media center at Greeleyville High School, where the teacher put on a pornographic video, exposed himself and asked the student if he would like to join him.

The student declined and quickly left, reporting the incident immediately.

Police said not enough evidence existed to charge Tisdale in 1993 and that the school district was notified of the incident but did not dismiss the Kingstree teacher. Police also mentioned that several complaints regarding Tisdale making inappropriate remarks to students had been filed since the 1993 episode, but no charges were ever brought against him.
School district officials were looking into reports of prior complaints made against Tisdale.

There is no word on whether Tisdale has sought legal council. Attempts to contact the former Kingstree Elementary teacher were unsuccessful.