HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Charges have been dropped for an Horry County Schools teacher who was arrested on kidnapping and assault charges in January.
Kimberly Bone has worked for the district since 2018 where she served as an alternate education teacher at the SOAR Academy. Following her arrest, she was placed on administrative leave.
“I would never, ever do anything to jeopardize my students,” Bone said. “Safety or anything. I love my job. I love my students.”
Bone was arrested after an argument between her and a roommate at a Surfside Beach home.
“I smelled a strong odor of butane coming out of her room, and my dog was in her bed,” Bone said. “And I didn’t know where she was. I knocked on the door three times. And when I knocked on the door three times, nobody answered. I called her name, jiggled the doorknob. She still didn’t answer, so I kicked in the door, because number one I was concerned that my house was gonna burn down, and number two I was concerned that my dog was in there.”
Bone and her roommate then got into an argument. Her roommate said she was intoxicated during the fight.
Bone denied being intoxicated and said she was likely acting strange from her prescribed Trazadone she took prior to the fight, which can often cause dizziness, lightheadedness and nausea.
Bone provided court documents to News13 showing the charges were dropped, but Bone is still facing consequences and hasn’t been allowed to return to teaching.
“It damaged my reputation with this community,” Bone said. “It damaged my reputation with my school district, with the parents and the students. Even with the state department of education who suspended my teaching certification March 10. With the orders of dismissal, they’ve lifted that suspension, but I’m still being investigated for unprofessional conduct by the state department of education.”
Bone told News13 this has been an extremely difficult time for her. She said teaching is her passion and it’s been hard not being able to do the one thing that has always gotten her up every morning.
“Of course, I’ve had some strife going through all of this, but my students are the ones that have truly suffered by me not being in the classroom with them,” Bone said.
An Horry County Schools spokesperson told News13 on Friday that Bone’s employment status hasn’t changed, but she has a meeting with human resources Monday.