News

Actions

Teachers caught on camera throwing punches in front of class

Posted at 7:57 AM, May 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-24 09:57:56-04

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. - Middle school students screamed in class as a teacher and a staff member got into a fist fight right in front of their desks.

The brawl happened on May 19 at Stone Mountain Middle School, which is northeast of downtown Atlanta. DeKalb County Schools Public Information Officer Andre Riley says the teacher and paraprofessional were arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges. Their identities have not been released.

A student recorded most of the fight on her cell phone. The women are throwing punches and pulling hair, and another adult has to get in the middle to break it up.

Julia Berry's daughter was inside the classroom and watched the fight unfold. Berry wants these women fired, saying that they set a horrible example for students.

After the fight was finally broken up, students say school officials came into the classroom, went through their cell phones and made them delete any evidence of it. The DeKalb County School District says it's not aware of staff going through the student's phones. The communications director did say he would send CBS46 a statement, but only after the station sent him a copy of the video so he could review it.

The statement says, in part: "Those staff members that participated in the conduct have been removed from the learning environment. Following our process, DCSD will act swiftly and decisively to hold those employees accountable for their actions."

After CBS46 kept pressing the school for answers, Berry says Stone Mountain Middle School sent out a letter saying, "Safety and security procedures are in place to help maintain a safe campus. Anyone who creates an unsafe learning environment for our students receive swift disciplinary actions."