By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Two Beaufort County teens were arrested earlier this month for an unusual charge.
Raven Benjamin, 19, of Lady’s Island, and Zachary Chandler, 19, of Yemassee were arrested for two charges of libel and slander for allegedly creating an Instagram page impersonating a former teacher.
Benjamin was arrested on Wednesday, June 7, while Chandler was arrested on Friday, June 9.
Both have since been released on $5,000 recognizance bonds.
The Instagram page was created on Jan. 21 and was only up for one day.
While active, Benjamin and Chandler allegedly made posts accusing a teacher and counselor from Lowcountry Montessori School of serious crimes that would impact their reputation as professionals who work with minors.
Benjamin and Chandler both graduated from Lowcountry Montessori School, a public charter school that models their curriculum after the Montessori method, in 2022.
The last time that someone in Beaufort County was arrested for libel and slander was 28 years ago in 1995.
Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She spent six years as a videographer and photographer for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette before leaving the Lowcountry in 2018. After freelancing in Myrtle Beach and Virginia, she joined The Island News when she moved back to Beaufort in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
