A high school basketball coach and athletic director who was accused of having sex with a student had his teaching license suspended in a Monday ruling by the South Carolina State Board of Education, or SCDE in USA.
According to an order from the SCDE, Artis O. Coulter “may pose a threat to the health, safety, and welfare of students who may be under his instruction,” and his license was suspended until the matter is resolved.
An arrest warrant from the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office shows the 36-year-old Coulter was charged on April 1 with sex/sexual battery with a student 16 or 17 years of age, no aggravated force or coercion.
The Orangeburg resident had sex with a 16-year-old student multiple times, from March 14-21, on the grounds of Bethune-Bowman High School, according to the arrest warrant.
Coulter, who is the athletic director at Bethune-Bowman in addition to teaching at the Technology Center, was placed on administrative leave on March 25, the SCDE said.
That was the same day the high school’s principal and assistant principal notified the Sheriff’s Office that Coulter previously had sex with the student in the coach’s office in the girls’ locker room, according to an incident report.
“At no time is it appropriate for a person of authority to have any type of contact such as this with a student,” Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said in a news release.
If convicted, the maximum sentence Coulter could face is five years in prison, according to the Sheriff’s Office.