A Summerville crossing guard and Democratic candidate for South Carolina House District 102 has been pulled from duty after text messages he allegedly sent to two former students surfaced this week. Dorchester School District Two says Montez Aiken will not serve as a substitute crossing guard while it works with police to sort out what happened.
The district said it became aware of the allegations against Aiken, a retired Summerville Police officer, on Thursday, and that he had worked two separate shifts as a substitute crossing guard for the district since September, according to Live 5 News. District officials said they are working closely with the Summerville Police Department regarding the matter, per the same report, though Live 5 noted it had requested further details on the investigation from Summerville police.
The allegations trace back to a series of text messages that the Berkeley and Dorchester County Republican parties jointly published on Wednesday, October 21, reportedly sent by Aiken, according to The Post and Courier. A separate account from the Carolina Courier places the release on Thursday, October 22, so the exact timing of the publication remains unsettled between the two accounts. Live 5 News reported separately that the Berkeley County Republican Party posted a video and created a website alleging inappropriate messages from Aiken to a former student.
Messages Reportedly Sent After Students Turned 18
The Post and Courier reported that the messages to one former Summerville High School student, identified as Samantha Pirkel, were sent over several months between November 2023 and January 2024, shortly after she turned 18. Both of the students involved said none of the graphic text messages occurred before they turned 18, the outlet reported.
The newly surfaced allegations have already cost Aiken his part-time crossing guard position at Summerville High School, per the Post and Courier's reporting. The district said it had not previously received any reports of allegations of this nature involving Aiken during his years of service as a school resource officer. Aiken retired from the Summerville Police Department in August 2025, according to the same report.
Candidate Pushes Back, Points to Legal Counsel
Aiken, who is running to represent District 102 covering Berkeley and Dorchester Counties, called the allegations inflammatory and said he takes them seriously, according to Live 5 News. He told the outlet he has consulted his attorney and was advised to consider legal action if the accusations continue.
On his campaign site, Montez Aiken for South Carolina, he describes himself as thrilled to run for the South Carolina House of Representatives seat representing Berkeley and Dorchester Counties. The district currently working with Summerville police to review the allegations has not detailed what, if any, findings its investigation has produced so far.
