Horry County Schools denies parents’ claims that teacher humiliated, verbally abused special education student

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Lawyers for Horry County Schools have denied allegations that a special education teacher verbally abused a female student between 2021 and 2023.

Responding to a lawsuit filed by the parents of Janie Doe, the district’s attorneys last month blamed the student’s parents, saying they failed to “keep a proper look out” or were “not paying attention” to changes in their child’s behavior.

The May 15 lawsuit names Horry County Schools as the sole defendant. It cites alleged instances of negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress involving a 17-year-old student with Down syndrome and ADHD who was assigned to Lorriane Annunziato’s classroom at St. James High School in 2021-22.

Shortly after the student began attending, she stopped speaking and displayed behavioral issues never previously experienced, the lawsuit claims. That included screaming, crying and throwing herself to the floor before school. She also hit herself until bruised in an effort to stay home, according to the complaint.

“Janie was only exhibiting these behaviors in the time periods directly before and directly after school. She was otherwise happy, talkative and well adjusted in her home life,” the lawsuit states.

In February 2022, Doe’s parents applied for homebound learning, which was approved the following month. The following academic year, Doe was back in Annunziato’s classroom and began showing destructive behavior on days when she was unable to learn from home.

In March 2023, Doe’s parents planted a recording device in their daughter’s pocket. On a single day, the lawsuit states, they heard:

• Annunziato aggressively yelling “turn around”
• Annunziato telling another adult in the room that Doe maybe “shouldn’t do any fun activities”
• Annunziato aggressively yelling instructions to students anytime they needed to be repeated
• Annunziato critiquing the attire of another student

The lawsuit claims no other adults made any reports about Annunziato raising her voice in the classroom despite being heard in the background of the recording.

Two weeks later, Doe’s parents met with school administrators and Annunziato.

“Annunziato stated she was Italian and that’s ‘just how she talks,” the lawsuit states. Annunziato then hugged Doe and told her she loved her at the end of the meeting.

The lawsuit says Doe’s parents learned of other concerning language by Annunziato directed toward other students.

“These included reports that were made in Fall of 2022 that Annunziato told their child if they did not stop scratching at bug bites, she was going to cut the child’s leg off, and that Annunziato has referred to two of her special education students as ‘dumb and dumber,'” attorneys claim.

On March 27, 2023, Doe came home upset and crying, hitting herself and causing a black eye, the lawsuit says. She was evaluated at the Medical University of South Carolina the next month, where officials said she reported being “uncomfortable and scared” at school.

On the final day of the 2022-23 academic year, the lawsuit said “Annunziato told Janie Doe that she would not be in the special education classroom the following year” due to the complaints against her.

“Annunziato further stated that she would return to teaching the special education students once Janie was no longer a student at St. James High School,” according to the suit.

Doe was placed with a new teacher at the start of the 2023-24 year.

“Janie has since seen Annunziato in passing in the hallway [and] comes home crying telling her parents that she is scared of her,” according to the suit.

Annunziato is listed on St. James High School’s website as a member of its resource special education staff.

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12 . See more of his work here .

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