D.C. Public Schools is investigating a video that appeared on social media Wednesday afternoon, which reportedly shows a high school staff member putting a student in a headlock-like hold and the student punching the employee at Ballou High School in Southeast. (Editor’s note: The video below may be upsetting to some readers.)
AT BALLOU HIGH SCHOOL AT TEACHER AND A STUDENT GOT INTO A BRIEF ALTERCATION. pic.twitter.com/d9nYvRbxZV
— killmoenetwork™ (@Killmoenews1) October 5, 2022
The video shows a staff member coming into a classroom from the hall during an argument with a student. The employee can be seen waving his hands and saying, “Come on,” before the student walks up, while saying expletives directed toward the employee. What happens next shows the two getting into a struggle, while another person tried to separate the two. The school system would not confirm where or when the incident happened. In response to an email from WTOP, schools spokesperson Enrique Gutierrez said in a statement:
“DC Public Schools is committed to fostering a safe and nurturing environment conducive to the learning and success of all students. At one of our schools, an interaction between a staff member and a student took place where the individual engaged in conduct that does not meet standards and expectations of DCPS staff toward the student. While we cannot discuss personnel matters, the school took immediate steps to report the incident to the appropriate DCPS departments for further investigation.”
The school system did not respond to questions about the current status of the employee involved, or whether that staff member was a teacher.