Gwinnett County

Video shows girl punching fellow student in middle school classroom

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Disturbing video shows a 12-year-old girl assault a fellow student in a middle school classroom.

Gwinnett County Schools confirmed the assault happened at the end of the school day Monday at Creekland Middle School in Lawrenceville.

The video, which has gone viral on social media, shows the seventh grader first strike another 12-year-old girl with a chair. She then returns a few second later to hit the other student in the head.

“And there’s no teacher in the classroom?” parent Michelle Graham asked.

A school district spokesperson told Channel 2's Justin Wilfon a teacher was in the classroom, but "was in a different area of the classroom working with a group of students."

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Wilfon obtained the incident report from Gwinnett County Schools police.

It shows the student was arrested and charged with simple battery.

There is no information on what led to the assault.

The school district said it is "addressing this issue with the teacher."
"I mean, she at least should get expelled for bullying someone who can't defend themselves," Graham said.

The district said the student is facing disciplinary action.

The school’s principal sent the following letter home with students about 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