A former worker at a middle school in Michigan is being charged with choking a 14-year-old student with a shirt. The event was caught on surveillance video.
Authorities say the “assault” happened on June 4 at Ypsilanti Middle School and involved the teen’s “trusted coach,” according to Jordan Vahdat, the family’s lawyer. The worker has been fired from Ypsilanti Community Schools “effective immediately,” the school district said Monday.
The employee approached the student from behind as the teen, whose family named him Michael Moon, walked down a hallway, as seen on surveillance video. The worker then seems to put a shirt over the teen’s head. The teen tries hard to get free, but in the end, he or she succeeds and walks away. The video shows that the event lasted less than 20 seconds.
Two charges have been approved against the offender in this case, according to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office. These are assaults with intent to do great bodily harm by strangulation and assault and battery, both of which are misdemeanors. No new information about the case was made public.
Superintendent of Ypsilanti Community Schools Alena Zachery-Ross says the worker is no longer employed by the school system and is not permitted to be on school property or attend school events.
In a statement, Zachery-Ross said, “Our district is committed to making sure that all of our students are safe and supported.” “The actions of the employee are unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our district.”
“We will continue to implement and enforce policies that protect our students and ensure their well-being,” she said.
In a letter to the school community on Monday, Zachery-Ross said that as soon as the school district learned about what happened, it “immediately” called social services and started working with local police.
“We understand the worry this event may bring to our community,” the letter said. “Please know that we are committed to continuing to fully cooperate with the involved authorities.”
Michael’s parents said they told the police about what happened, and the police then showed them the surveillance tape of what happened. Yolanda Ellis, Michael’s mother, told WXYZ in Detroit that she was “horrified” by what she saw and that it made her “lose trust in that coach.” Michael looked up to that coach.
Michael’s parents told WXYZ that the incident happened after the coach, who was also a hall monitor, told him to do pushups because he was acting up in the hallway. The teenager refused because he hurt his hand, the parents said.
His parents had been asking for charges to be brought against him.
“This man needs to pay for what he did to my son,” Michael Moon’s dad Steve Moon told WXYZ. “That means getting fired, losing his job, and going to jail.” “I need him to know that what he did was wrong.”
It was not possible to get in touch with the former employee for feedback.
When asked for a response, the Ypsilanti Police Department told ABC News to talk to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office.
