Update: Mauldin's School Resource Officer Resigns Amid Inappropriate Texting Allegations

A Mauldin police officer serving as a school resource officer at Mauldin High School has resigned amid allegations of inappropriate texting with a 17-year-old female student.

According to Greenville County Schools spokesperson Oby Lyles, the text's were brought to the attention of the principal in February by a parent and the principal immediately contacted Mauldin City Police.

When confronted with the allegations, officer Ralph Floyd decided voluntarily to resign on Feb. 6, Mauldin Police Chief Bryan Turner told Patch. A new resource officer was then immediately assigned to the school, he said.

Other than department policy violations, Turner said he didn't believe any laws were broken by the officer, who was hired by the police department in 2009, Turner said. Due to conflict of interest, the department has referred the case to the solicitor's office, which is reviewing it. The State Law Enforcement Division also was asked to investigate, according to WYFF.

Floyd had prior experience as a school resource officer before coming to Mauldin, and had a clean disciplinary record while employed by the department, Turner said. "We had had no issues with him," he said. "Nothing ever led me to believe he'd do anything out of the ordinary."

The nature of the alleged texts between Floyd and the female student were not divulged. Turner said they allegedly started between the student and Floyd, whom Turner believed to be in his 40s, sometime late last year and continued into this year.