Who Is Kenleigh Prendergast? Private School Counselor Had Sex With Teenage Student

Kenleigh Prendergast, a 25-year-old South Carolina school counselor at an upscale private school, was terminated from her job after she was accused of having a sexual relationship with a student. Prendergast, who worked at the $20,000-per-year Spartanburg Day School, was hired in August 2017.

According to reports Monday, Prendergast was arrested and charged with sexual battery for having an inappropriate relationship with a student. A statement from the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office claimed that Prendergast's illicit relationship with the student, who was not named, began in January and the affair ended days before the arrest was made Friday.

The young counselor admitted to having sex with the teenager. She also told deputies that before meeting the student at her private counseling practice and home, the duo texted, called and used Facetime for conversations, New York Post reported.

While the exact age of the student was not revealed, reports said the teenager was 16 or 17 years old.

"Spartanburg Day School was contacted on March 31 by the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office and informed that an employee, Kenleigh Prendergast, was charged with sexual battery with a student," the school, which is a nationally accredited independent organization for students in grades 3K to 12, said in a statement.

"Ms. Prendergast was hired in August of 2017 as school counselor. Effective immediately, Ms. Prendergast’s employment with the school has been terminated. SDS puts the safety and wellbeing of our students above all things, and will cooperate fully with the Sheriff’s Office throughout this process."

An investigation is underway into the young counselor's illicit relationship with her teenage student.

In a now-deleted LinkedIn profile, Prendergast wrote the following description regarding her work and experience.

"I am the School Counselor at Spartanburg Day School. As the counselor at this independent school, I work with children ages 3-18 in a variety of ways. I meet with students one on one to discuss a variety of mental health topics, lead therapeutic play groups, manage interpersonal conflicts between students in a systemic way, and am working to implement programs that help to ensure that all of our students develop the skills they need to live fulfilling lives," she reportedly wrote.