Orangeburg County town reacts to teacher’s alleged trysts

HOLLY HILL, S.C. - One parent said the Holly Hill community is coming together after a Holly Hill Academy teacher was charged Thursday with having an inappropriate relationship with a student.

“There is a lot of grief attached to this for so many people,” parent Alicia Bilton said.

We first reported Thursday Holly Hill Academy teacher Reagan Anderson was charged with two counts of sexual battery. The victim was a 17-year-old student.

Alicia Bilton said her son was one of Anderson’s former students and this week has been difficult for everyone in town, as Holly Hill is a tight-knit community.

“I think the general consensus right now for our community is, ‘How can we stand with the student and his family; advocate for them, lift them up, and be pillars of strength for them at this time while also simultaneously rallying around this other family and loving them well?’” Bilton said.

Holly Hill Academy’s head of school, Brandy Mullennax, wrote in a letter that students and parents would be provided with resources to help navigate the situation.

“As a small school community, we strive to always provide a safe and secure learning environment for all our students,” she said in a statement.

Anderson appeared in bond court Thursday afternoon and was granted a $2,500 surety bond.

Warrants for Anderson’s arrest say she met with the student at a Pizza Hut in Santee and her home on Bunch Ford Road in October, where the alleged sexual battery took place, the warrants said.

Investigators were notified of the alleged relationship on Nov. 8. A school official told authorities that there had been allegations of nude pictures of Anderson being sent to a 17-year-old boy on Snapchat, a report states.

One student said that he saw the picture of Anderson on the victim’s phone, according to the sheriff’s office.

Anderson denied the allegations when she was approached by school officials, investigators say.

A judge ordered Anderson to not have contact with the victim or the victim’s family and to wear a GPS monitor, according to WIS.

School administrators confirmed Thursday that Anderson no longer works for Holly Hill Academy.

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