Two charged with selling drugs near school, another faces charge of sexual battery with student

EASLEY — Three School District of Pickens County employees were arrested last week in two separate incidents.

According to a release from the Liberty Police Department, John Peter Kilgallen, an Easley High School teacher, was charged last week with sexual battery with a student.

Police say Kilgallen had a mutual relationship with a 17-year-old student, and during the relationship, which began at the beginning of the school year, a sexual encounter occrred at Kilgallen’s home in Liberty.

Kilgallen, 31, turned himself in last Thursday and was later released on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. Kilgallen faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

School district public information specialist John Eby said Kilgallen resigned last week.

On Friday, two more school district employees were arrested in Easley, charged with selling marijuana and controlled substances near a school.

Kimberly Dawn Anthony, 43, of 119 Roper Street in Easley, and Daniel John Fahey, 48 of 500 Hampton Road in Liberty, were both charged with multiple counts of selling both marijuana and control substances near a school or park.
Anthony was a middle teacher at Gettys Middle School in Easley, while Fahey was the district’s school-to-work facilitator working at the district office.

Easley police said they believe the two sold the drugs to an informant while the department was conducting an investigation over the last several weeks. Warrants say the two were audio recorded during the investigation.

Easley police determined on Friday that they had enough evidence to exercise a search warrant at the home where Anthony lived in Easley. Warrants claim officers found more than 28 grams of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana.

Both employees have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the police and school district investigations.

“In light of the arrest of two district employees, we understand that there is concern about whether controlled substances were distributed to our students,” Eby said. “Easley Police investigators have informed the school district that they have no evidence of controlled substances being given to students in this case.”
Officials say the two faced a bond hearing on Saturday with Anthony’s set at $250,000 and Fahey’s bond set at $150,000.

School district superintendent Dr. Kelly Pew sent a letter to parents on Monday addressing the employees’ arrests.

“The district considers these matters to be extremely serious and will respond to these employees’ misconduct swiftly and as required under South Carolina law,” Pew said. “Our No. 1 priority is the safety and well-being of the children in this district.”

Pew said the school board’s policy committee reviewed the district’s student and employee drug policy last Wednesday night, recommending that the district conduct random drug checks on all district employees to the extent that such checks are allowed by law.

“While I firmly believe that the majority of our employees provide a quality education for students and also serve as positive role models, unfortunately, there are some employees who make bad choices in their personal lives,” Pew said. “Whenever such choices are brought to the district’s attention, we will investigate the situation and take appropriate employment action.”