Small town rocked by cheerleading scandal

It’s a scandal involving the cheerleading coach and principal at the town’s tiny high school and now, two South Carolina National Guardsmen. Details trickled out last week and by Thursday, this former mill village of 2,300 had all but shut its doors to outsiders.

White writing scribbled on a student’s car proclaimed: “Busted, Farewell Moore & Blackwell,” referring to the arrests of cheerleading coach Jill Moore and Principal Jane Blackwell.

A yellow sign outside of the local pharmacy asked: “Please NO News Media inside.”

Police, too, were saying little, only that two cheerleaders, both 16 at the time, were involved in activities that led to Moore’s arrest.

Moore, who also worked as a guidance clerk at the school, is charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor for supplying alcohol and cigarettes to students.

Later, Blackwell, the principal, was taken into custody at the school of about 300 students, accused of trying to hinder the police investigation.

Both say they are innocent.

But then the scandal widened. Two South Carolina National Guard soldiers who recruited students at the school have been suspended while the alleged misconduct is investigated. They have not been identified.

An affidavit filed by the Greenwood County sheriff’s office said the principal knew the cheerleading coach was “participating in a sexual relationship” with a guardsman.

The activities occurred at more than one location and over a number of months, said Chief Deputy Mike Frederick, who refused to give more details.

Sheriff Dan Wideman has only said vaguely students were put in “incredibly inappropriate situations.”