Teacher hits face twice; Video is circulating on social media

“The Sheriff's Office is aware of this and, like many of you, has seen the video that has been making the rounds in our community (today). Because this involves a juvenile, we have not discussed the details of this incident and will not, but we will work on it.” “We are working with the parties involved to determine the best course of action. At this time, we pray for the integrity of the teacher involved and for the healing of our students who witnessed this deplorable act,” Sheriff Bobby F. Kimbrough Jr. said in a social media panel Monday.

In the 38-second video, a young man punches the teacher in the face, approaches the teacher's desk and asks, “Do you want me to hit you again?”

“I don’t want that,” said the teacher.

The student hits the teacher again, causing his glasses to fly through the air.

“No one is coming,” said the student in a sing-song voice. “You just got a slap in the face. Go back to teaching.”

The teacher remained seated throughout the recorded incident.

Parkland Principal Noel Keener shared a statement with the school community:

“I am calling to let you know that today our administration was made aware of a disturbing video of an inappropriate and disturbing interaction between a student and a teacher that was shared on social media. Our administration immediately launched an investigation in accordance with our law. Enforcement partners at the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office will face disciplinary action in accordance with county policies and procedures.

Headteacher Tricia McManus said: “This behavior will not be tolerated. At no time is it acceptable for students to take the reins of a teacher in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. My focus now is to ensure our teacher is cared for and has the support necessary to address the lasting impact of this incident.”

Information about students and discipline is federally protected and cannot be released by the school district, school district spokesman Brent Campbell said Tuesday morning.