South Carolina teacher forced to resign after a student stole her phone and shared her nude pictures with his classmates
- South Carolina teacher was forced to resign after a student stole her phone and shared her nude pictures with other students
- Leigh Anne Arthur, 33, said she shouldn't be held responsible for the theft
- Union County school district told her she could resign or be terminated
- Her students have started a petition to bring her back with 250 signatures
A South Carolina teacher was forced to resign after a student stole her phone and shared her nude pictures.
Leigh Anne Arthur, 33, a former mechatronics (a blend of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer control and information technology) teacher at the Union County Career and Technology Center, doesn't think she should be held responsible for the theft, which occurred while she was patrolling the halls.
Arthur, who took the partially nude pictures for her husband on Valentine's Day, told WYFF that she knows who the student is because he is one of her 16-year-old students that she taught in her mechatronics class.
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Leigh Anne Arthur, a former mechatronics teacher at the Union County Career and Technical Center, was forced to resign last week after a student stole her phone and sent her partially nude photos to other students through text messages and social media
The student, who had also warned her that something bad was coming, sent the images to other students through text messages and social media, according to WSPA.
Arthur said the student told her that 'your day of reckoning is coming'.
When school officials got wind of the situation, they took action against Arthur. They gave her two choices, resign or the district will terminate her, according to Union County schools superintendent David Eubanks.
He told The State that there is a 'right to privacy, but when we take inappropriate information or pictures, we had best make sure it remains private'.
'Students had access to very inappropriate pictures of a teacher,' he said.
Arthur resigned last week.
School officials are unsure how many students viewed the teacher's picture, but Eubanks said Arthur's phone was unlocked when it was swiped.
When school officials got wind of the situation, they took action against Arthur. They gave her two choices, resign or the district will terminate her. Arthur said the student is from her class at the Career and Technology Center (pictured)
Arthur filed a complaint about the theft with the Union Public Safety Department.
She said that the student 'took pictures from my phone and sent them from his phone'.
'He knows right and wrong. He had the ultimate decision to take pictures of my pictures, and he had the ultimate decision to send them out,' she said. 'He had to hit my apps button and to open up all my apps and then open my gallery.'
Regardless, Arthur said she already forgives the student for the prank.
Three of Arthur's students started an iPetition titled 'Bring Mrs. Arthur Back', to gather signatures to call for her reinstatement.
The petition reads: 'After being escorted off of school property, we (the students) are left to believe that she has been forced to, or given little choice but to resign.
'Mrs. Arthur has not only shown tremendous dedication to her students, but also the mechatronics program itself, often reaching out to local businesses and colleges to get materials that would not normally be available for class.
Students from Union County High School (pictured) started a petition to gather signatures for Arthur's reinstatement
'With that being said, the student(s) responsible have not received any sort of punishment.
'The circumstances in which Mrs. Arthur was let go is unacceptable, and must be corrected.'
The petition currently has more than 250 signatures.
Arthur said parents and students are signing the petition to have her teach again and the amount of support has been overwhelming.
It's unclear whether or not the student responsible for stealing and distributing Arthur's images will face disciplinary action.
- Union County teacher resigns after nude photo circulated among students | The State
- Teacher resigns after student exposes private pictures | Local News - WYFF Home
- Teacher resigns after nude pic from her phone spread through school says district
- What is Mechatronics? NC State University-UNC Asheville
- Petition Bring Back Mrs. Arthur
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