Orangeburg County, SC - An Orangeburg county teacher is on un-paid leave Friday night after an alleged incident with a 14-year-old student and a plastic bag.

Edisto High school in Cordova is now at the center of a criminal investigation. Paul Jensen, a 61-year-old teacher working in the special needs program, is accused of abusing a student. The student’s legal guardian says there is concern about the district’s response.

“When things like this happen, parents need to be notified that day and the law needs to be notified at the same time,” said David Smith, the victim’s father.

But Smith says that did not happen. Reports from the Orangeburg county sheriff’s office say Jensen placed a plastic bag next to the student’s heads. Superintendent Dr. Thomas Sparks says at no time was the bag placed over the students head.

“There was a plastic bag placed in close proximity to the student’s face, but it was not over his head, and his air was never restricted. We certainly do not condone that either, but that was being used as a technique to wake the student up,” said Dr. Thomas.

This is not the first time Jensen actions have been called into question. In August, the school district says Jensen was moving an un-cooperative student by the waist, when both fell to the ground. Jensen was placed on a five day leave and an internal investigation determined it was an accident.

“The circumstances between that and this is day light and darkness differences, it’s a very different type of abuse and that’s what has me concerned is where does it stop at,” said Smith.

What happens with this teacher will depend on the outcome of the investigation, regardless, Smiths says his son may not come back to this school at all. Messages left at Jensen’s home were not returned.

 

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