Parents arrested after incident at Lexington high school, cops say. This is how it happened

A Midlands high school was placed under security protocol Wednesday after a student's parent entered the building without permission and threatened a staff member, according to Lexington police.

The incident occurred at River Bluff High School, Police Chief Terrence Green said in a news release. The Lexington 1 school is located on Corley Mill Road, near the Saluda River and Exit 61 on Interstate 20.

Danielle Cato, a 34-year-old resident of Lexington, South Carolina, has been charged with disrupting school operations and third-degree assault, the press release said.

Police said they were called in when they were alerted to a suspicious person in the high school lobby, later identified as Cato.

Cato had bypassed security in the front office and entered the library, where she began acting aggressively toward a school employee, according to the news release. Cato yelled, cursed and threatened to attack the employee, police said.

Information about why Cato bypassed security to enter the library and then behaved aggressively was not available.

Their behavior led to the school being placed on lockdown and students being evacuated from the common area as a precautionary measure, the press release said.

Cato followed the employee into the lobby when school security was notified, and the 34-year-old parent was arrested Wednesday afternoon, police said.

No injuries were reported.

Cato was taken to the Lexington County Detention Center, jail records show. In a statement released Thursday, a Lexington 1 spokesperson said Cato was ordered by a bail court not to enter school property or attend any school function.

“The district and school administration are grateful that this was an isolated incident that was quickly resolved thanks to the quick response of school staff, police and students,” school district spokeswoman Libby Roof wrote in a press release.

“However, we recognize that such incidents can be disturbing. Counseling services are available for students and staff.”

The district said it would continue to enforce “strict security measures” at all Lexington 1 schools.

If convicted of disrupting school, Cato faces a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine under South Carolina law. The maximum sentence for a third-degree assault conviction under South Carolina law is 30 days in jail and a $500 fine.