LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – A middle school student is facing criminal charges after a video showing her hitting a fellow classmate with a chair went viral.
Gwinnett County Schools confirmed the video that circulated on social media showing a 7th grade girl hitting another with a chair and then again hitting the victim with her hand was one of their students.
The incident happened on Jan. 22 at Creekland Middle School during the end of the school day. The school system said the victim reported the incident to an administrator after it occurred.
In addition to disciplinary action, the student is also facing criminal charges. Since the incident happened inside a Gwinnett County classroom, Human Resources is conducting an investigation.
The school district said this behavior is not acceptable and took immediate action.
Following the incident, the principal at Creekland Middle School sent a message to parents regarding the incident.
Dear Parents and Guardians of Creekland MS students,
I want to make you aware of a situation we have addressed at our school this week. On Monday, one of our students struck another student with a chair and again in the head with her hand. I want to reassure you that we are aware of this situation and have dealt with it appropriately. The incident occurred at the end of the school day and the victim reported it to an administrator. As a result, we have taken disciplinary action with the student who struck the other student and she is facing criminal charges. In addition, as this situation did occur in the classroom, we are addressing this issue with the teacher of the class.
As you know we are focused on providing students with a safe and positive teaching and learning environment. Although the vast majority of our students follow school rules, when misbehavior occurs we deal with it quickly. In addition, we work directly with the parents of the students who are involved in a situation. However, as a result of a video of this incident being posted on social media, I have received a number of calls from parents who were concerned and who wanted to make us aware of this incident. I felt it best to reach out to you to reassure you that we are indeed aware of this situation and have handled it appropriately. As always, thank you for your support of our school and students. Continue to reach out to us if you have questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Dr. Eddie Maresh
Principal
11Alive reached out to the person who originally posted the video on Facebook but has not heard back.
