Parents, students and teachers urge Berkeley County board to reconsider reassignment of school resource officer

Members of the Berkeley County community used the public-comment period at the Nov. 17 school board meeting to urge reconsideration of a recent reassignment of a school resource officer at Howell Ames.

Adam Erickson told the board he had "nothing but good things to say about her," describing widespread positive feedback from parents, students and staff after the officer's departure and saying children were "literally weeping" on the officer's final day. Fifth grader Zelda Erickson said, "Whenever I would see officer Moody, I knew that she loved the students and that she did everything to protect and keep us safe," and asked the board to keep the officer assigned so students could retain trusting connections.

Juliana Alcon, speaking for a group of mothers from Howell Ames, framed the SRO departure as part of a larger pattern of staff turnover and concern, saying the loss of the officer "should be a major red flag" and urging the board to take concrete next steps to address school climate and staffing.

The board did not take immediate public action on the reassignment during the meeting. Chair recognized community speakers and reiterated that public comments are for the record; the transcript does not record a superintendent or board response to the specific requests during the public-comment period.

Why this matters: School resource officers are visible adults who often have day‑to‑day contact with students; parents and students said the officer’s presence provided comfort and continuity, and speakers argued reassigning a trusted officer can harm student sense of safety.

What happened next: The meeting record shows no formal vote altering the reassignment. Community members asked the board to reconsider and to keep the issue under review.

Sources: Public comments at the Nov. 17 Berkeley County School District board meeting (Adam Erickson; Zelda Erickson; Juliana Alcon).