Teacher’s aide charged with physical abuse after violently attacking high school student
Teacher’s aide charged with physical abuse after violently attacking high school student
A teacher’s aide in Milwaukee was charged with the physical abuse of a child after he was captured on camera attacking a high school student while calling him a ‘n***er’ and ‘little motherf***er’.
Jasmine Pennix, 39, was fired from Bay View High School in Wisconsin, where several boys were ‘ripping on each other’ in biology class on Wednesday morning, according to a criminal complaint.
Pennix got into an argument with a 14-year-old boy, and now faces up to six years in jail along with a $10,000 fine if he is found guilty.
A number of students were ‘ripping on each other’ in biology class when one 14-year-old told the teacher’s aide to ‘shut the f*** up’, according to court documents cited by the Journal Sentinel.
Pennix pulled the back of the boy’s chair, causing him to fall on the floor before he put him in a headlock, the documents stated.
They separated, but when the student egged Pennix on a second time, saying ‘come on, do something’, the teacher obliged.
In the unsettling 18-second video, Pennix can be seen shoving the high school student onto the desks in the classroom.
The boy eventually falls to the ground with Pennix’s hands around his neck, as the teacher’s aid can be heard calling the student a ‘n****r’ and asking: ‘The f*** I tell you, little motherf***er?’
Tony Tagliavia, a spokesperson for Milwaukee Public Schools, said Pennix was fired after administrators found out about the ‘deeply disturbing’ incident.
The 39-year-old, who has had a clean record, was arrested the next day and held in Milwaukee County Jail on $25,000 bail. His next hearing is on May 10.
The boy was treated at this hospital for minor injuries to his neck, hips and back, according to the criminal complaint.
One parent James Sinkey told CBS58: ‘He should have just marched out right away. There’s no need for actions like that, it’s just too much.’
Democratic state senator Lena Taylor also issued a statement condemning Pennix’s response. She said: ‘I believe violence is a major educational barrier for our kids.
‘We need to create schools and communities free of violence so that our kids can focus on learning, not looking over their shoulders.
‘Until that day comes, we must ensure that our kids have access to school therapists who they can talk to about any trauma they experienced. Additionally, we must ensure workers have special training to address conflict.’
