She also worked full time as a kindergarten teacher at Homeland Park Primary in Anderson County, where she had been employed since 2017. Grant never attended that school, but Callaham found ways to be a constant presence in his life. She reportedly signed him out of school, drove him to after-school activities, and supervised him during summer programs at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities. At times, according to police reports, she was the only adult present.
Court documents say she gave him alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine. Investigators believe the inappropriate relationship lasted for more than two years, starting when Grant was 14 and continuing until he was 16. It crossed county lines and involved multiple cities and venues; that is why there are now separate cases moving forward in Anderson, Greenville, and potentially Clemson.
Grant is now 18, and he has decided not to remain silent. He spoke at her bond hearing and addressed the court directly:
“All I really want the public to know is that that was a traumatic event. It was awful. I think more awareness needs to be brought to things like this. Just because I’m a man doesn’t mean that it should be shunned away.”
His words matter. So does his bravery. Even in 2025, there is still a stigma around male survivors. There is still a tendency to downplay abuse when the victim is a teenage boy and the adult is a woman. Grant’s courage in speaking out publicly helps challenge that.
His mother also spoke in court. She described how Callaham slowly worked her way into their lives through the theatre, building trust and taking on a mentorship role that, in hindsight, was anything but innocent. “Our family first met Nikki at an audition for Legally Blonde at Project Challenge Playhouse, where she was a director of musical theatre productions. Looking back, it sickens me knowing Nikki manipulated our son and our family. We trusted her with him.”
That is the heart of this story. Not just the abuse, but the betrayal. This happened in spaces that are supposed to be safe. It happened in a theatre, a place where young people go to find themselves, to be creative, to be part of something. That is exactly what makes it so dangerous when the wrong people are given unchecked access to those spaces.
Callaham posted a $40,000 bond in Anderson County. After that, she was transferred to Greenville to face the additional charges. Her attorney says she is cooperating with authorities. She is reportedly pregnant and has a young child. Like any defendant, she remains presumed innocent until proven guilty. Still, the evidence that continues to emerge is deeply troubling.
The fallout is already being felt. Parents, educators, and theatre leaders across South Carolina are taking a closer look at how easily an adult was able to build a private, prolonged relationship with a student outside of a formal school setting. Many community theatre programs, especially smaller nonprofit ones, do not have the same guardrails that exist in schools. Background checks may be limited. Oversight may be informal. Yet the access adults have to children in those spaces can be just as significant.
That has to change.
This case is not just about one teacher. It is about a system that allowed a trusted adult to step across every boundary and go unchecked for two years. It is about a community that never saw it coming because they did not think they had to. It is about making sure that theatre, a place that should be filled with light, is not used to hide something so dark.
Theatre educators and directors have real influence. They spend long hours with students. They build bonds during rehearsals, backstage, and on show days. That influence is powerful, and it must come with accountability. Mentorship is a gift; it is not a free pass. We owe it to every student to make sure that boundaries are respected, that training is provided, and that policies are in place to protect them.
We also owe it to survivors like Grant to listen, to believe them, and to act. His voice may have started this conversation, but it should not end with him. The theatre world, and every organization that works with young people, must take a long, hard look at how it operates. No amount of applause is worth this kind of silence.
Grant found the courage to speak. Now it is up to all of us to hear him and do better.
