A video of a brawl in the hallway of Dr Martin Luther King Jr High School in Georgia is circulating on the internet, with many raising their brows at a teacher’s involvement. The fight occurred on Tuesday, April 22, and has since prompted an investigation by the DeKalb County School District.
Reports of the incident detail that a veteran teacher, a security guard and three students were all involved in the melee. The identities of those involved have not been publicly released, but On Common Ground News reported that the teacher is a long-serving educator who is also a church elder and a well-known community figure across three counties.
The circulating video was captured on the phone of a student, who was among a crowd of rowdy children watching the teacher and students throw punches. In the video, which is more than a minute long, a chaotic scene unfolds after a student punches the teacher in the face.
Screams can be heard in the background while an individual, seemingly the security guard, attempts to de-escalate the situation by restraining the student. The teacher lands several punches on one student; another jumps in and hits the teacher and seemingly shoves him to the ground at one point.
When the security guard manages to separate the teacher from the students, the faculty member appears relentless as he charges toward them and continues the fight.
The three students involved are now facing charges of battery and disrupting public school. Following the incident, the teacher was immediately placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues. Authorities have not yet revealed what triggered the altercation.
However, the district officials said in a statement that the students reportedly initiated the fight with the teacher. The district officials also reinforced their stance against violence in schools. “The DeKalb County School District is firmly committed to maintaining learning environments free from violent behaviour and will not tolerate physical altercations in our schools,” the statement read.
