FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Two high school students were arrested for assaulting a teacher at Dillard High School last week.
According to Fort Lauderdale Police, the altercation, which was captured on cell phone video, shows Jayvis McClover and Roddrick McQueen, both 19, approach the teacher and “verbally threatening to attack him,” ABC reports. The pair then “intentionally launched a synchronized physical attack” against the teacher and “repeatedly punched [him] in the face and head with closed fists.” The students continued to punch the teacher after he crumbled to the ground “in a fetal position attempting to guard himself against injury.”
Cell phone footage of the attack shows dozens of students looking on and recording as security staff struggles to break up the fight. The teacher, who is reportedly a substitute, suffered facial swelling and bruising and reported back pain following the attack.
One student who witnessed the fight told NBC 6 that the teacher has a history of saying “challenging things” to students.
“The teacher was talking to one of the students and he was like, ‘What are you going to do about it now?’ and then they just started fighting,” he said. “I guess what happened was the teacher was talking about them and they didn’t really appreciate it and they just started beating.”
Both teens have been charged with battery on a public or private education employee. They were released from custody after their court appearances but were ordered to stay away from the teacher and the school.
Florida Department of Education Board Member Daniel Foganholi Sr. issued a statement on social media calling the incident a “failure of respect, discipline, and accountability.” He said solutions need to be put in place to prevent such incidents, including “stronger disciplinary policies, better security measures, and a culture that respects and protects our teachers.”
Dillard High School is part of Broward County Public Schools. BCPS is the sixth largest school system in the U.S., housing 327 total schools, including Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
