The attorneys in Clement Rivers, LLP’s Educational Institution Liability Practice Group represent public school districts and private schools throughout South Carolina. They regularly defend a variety of matters, including litigation arising from:

School bus liability
Physical injury on school property
Claims of assault and battery between students
Claims of negligent supervision of students leading to hazing and bullying
Claims of sexual assault or other inappropriate sexual conduct by teachers
Claims of other teacher-on-student misconduct such as assault, battery, and false imprisonment
Student claims of rights infringement, including free speech and locker searches
Claims of negligent supervision of students
Claims arising out of the criminal acts of third parties


The Practice Group attorneys aggressively defend these claims from inception, typically beginning with fact gathering and employee interviews before suit is filed. During discovery, no stone is left unturned. Written discovery is targeted towards establishing behavior within the protections of the South Carolina Tort Claims Act, and social networking discovery often produces favorable impeachment material relative to damages. This often places the schools in a superior position as trial approaches. If a case is one that needs to be tried, clients often look to Clement Rivers, LLP. This was the case recently, when the Practice Group’s attorneys obtained a defense verdict for a private school in a multi-million dollar case involving claims of bullying, hazing and rape. The Firm’s willingness to try these types of cases is well known to the plaintiff’s bar, and leads to favorable settlements in those cases that do not go to trial.

Proactive behavior can prevent a number of these types of claims. As a result, the Practice Group provides Districts and insurers with regular training regarding proper supervision techniques and strategies. The attorneys also give presentations on potential warning signs of teacher/student sexual relationships.