An 8th grader was caught on video attacking his teacher in her classroom. The student was reportedly upset because the teacher took his phone.
The incident occurred at Bowie Middle School in Odessa, Texas, on Wednesday. Other students in the classroom recorded the video of the student attacking his teacher and shared it on the internet which quickly went viral.
A representative for the Ector County Independent School District, Mike Adkins, released a statement about the video saying:
“This is shocking and terrible, and will not be tolerated,” Adkins said, “We have been dealing with fights and violence recently and want our community to know that behavior is unacceptable and we will do all we can to prevent it.”
“The student was arrested and charged with a first-degree felony and will also face disciplinary action through the Student Code of Conduct,” he continued.
“We have watched violence among children on the rise here, around the state, and across the country;” he continued. “We know our children are hurting and need us to address mental health challenges, while we also hold them accountable for their actions. Our district will continue to address these concerns with students and families.”
Adkins said the students that shared the videos have also been disciplined. The type of reprimand is unclear, as ECISD officials are not authorized to detail the discipline of some of their students.
Though videotaping the encounter was problematic for the administration, students have been encouraged to notify adults if such a disturbance happens, the Odessa American reports. FOX 8 reports Superintendent Scott Muri believes students need more tools to cope with their mental wellness.
“We do not have enough mental health resources to meet the needs of kids and families in this community,” said Muri. “We’ve brought in teletherapy, our kids now have access to therapists remotely. These therapists exist in other parts of our state. That is now an opportunity at ECISD, but even with that addition there still aren’t enough resources for kids and families.”
Check out Bowie middle school fight with teacher video below :
A Latino student at Bowie Middle School in Odessa, Texas was charged with felony aggravated assault of a public servant this week for beating his teacher, a black woman. The attack was recorded on several mobile phones & posted online. https://t.co/dQVnOiDpdT
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) September 9, 2022
