The North Carolina teen who violently attacked his teacher in a vicious assault caught on camera has been charged after the video went viral.
The incident went down earlier this week at Parkland High School in Winston-Salem, with the footage recorded by another student showing the enraged boy slapping the teacher across the face.
“Want me to hit you again?,” the teen threatened after the first blow.
“I don’t want it,” the teacher replied, just before the second slap connected.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina high school teacher at Parkland High School was slapped twice by a student. Story: https://t.co/03PCOZTfuS pic.twitter.com/5O3kw5zDJg
— The North Carolina Beat (@TheNCBeat) April 15, 2024
The student, who has not been publicly named due to his age, then launched into a profanity-ridden rant.
“The fuck’s wrong with you, what you gonna do, still sit in that chair ’cause you a bitch. Ain’t nobody even coming, you got slapped,” the teen taunted. “Bitch go back to teaching.”
Other teens in the classroom laughed at the aggressor’s insults as he finally backed off the teacher.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools officials condemned the student’s disturbing behavior, with Superintendent Tricia McManus telling the local NBC station that it “won’t be tolerated.”
This behavior will not be tolerated. At no time is it acceptable for students to put their hands on a teacher in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. My focus now is on making sure that our teacher is taken care of and has the support needed to navigate through the lasting effects of this incident.
Parkland Principal Noel Keener also commented on the student’s actions in a message sent to parents, referring to the attack as an “inappropriate and unsettling interaction.”
She went on to say that the student in the video “will face disciplinary action in accordance with district policies and procedures” as well as criminal charges.
“Please know this video is not reflective of our expectations of students at Parkland High School. We are working with district staff to address this immediately and ensure behavior like this is not tolerated in our school and district,” Keener added, before instructing parents to “report” such videos on social media instead of reposting them.
A Tuesday morning press release from the Forsyth Sheriff’s Office announced the teen’s charges: one count of communicating threats, and two counts of misdemeanor assault.
“While we all agree that this incident was deplorable and outrageous to the community, and community organizations. All of us should be outraged when those who educate us can be assaulted,” Sheriff Bobby F. Kimbrough Jr. said.
“We should hold those who teach and educate our children to the highest regard,” he continued. “Our hope and our prayer at the FCSO is that we recognize that we as a community must bring order not only to our community but our children. We are praying for wholeness for those students who witnessed this and the educator involved.”
Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neil said he began investigating the incident within an hour of the video being posted online.
“Both Sheriff Kimbrell and myself spent the morning at Parkland High School speaking with the teacher, because we want one message to be delivered today,” he said. “This isn’t about the color of your skin, this isn’t about your political affiliation, today is about one thing. Sending a message to the teachers out there, that law enforcement and the District Attorney’s Office support you, we care about the job you do.”
He added, “Nobody goes to work and expects to get assaulted.”
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