Teacher, accused of inappropriate comments with female students, charged with raping woman, commits suicide

(Originally Posted 12-25-07)

West Ashley (South Carolina) teacher Scott Larue Knight, accused of making sexually inappropriate comments to female students, is charge with raping a woman, according to the Charleston County Sheriff's Office.

The Charleston Post & Courier has more in their story, W. Ashley teacher charged with rape:

Deputies arrested Scott Larue Knight, 39, Friday on charges of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, sheriff's Maj. John Clark said.
Affidavits describe an attack in September at Knight's home at Concord West of the Ashley on 45 Sycamore Ave., Clark said.

Knight is accused of pushing a woman in her early 30s into his room and locking the door, then forcibly raping her, Clark said. Knight was arrested at home. He left the Charleston County Detention Center on Saturday after posting $20,000 bail, according to court documents and the jail. Knight has been on administrative leave from his teaching job since being arrested Nov. 14 on two counts of first- degree harassment, according to the school district.

The harassment charges stem from incidents with inappropriate comments directed at teenage students. A 16 year old girl claimed that starting in June, Knight started to make inappropriate comments directed at her in front of her boyfriend. The comments started back up when the school year started, and Knight allegedly started staring at her in her classroom while outside. Her parents made a report to her school's administration. Another girl, 14, reported similar comments made allegedly by Knight.

Update (12-31-07) Knight commited suicide on the 27th by crashing his car into a tree. A suicide note was found.