An altercation between a coach and a student at Ypsilanti Middle School has led to the coach's dismissal and ensuing legal charges. The incident, caught on the school's surveillance cameras, shows the coach, identified as Josh Smith by clickondetroit, assaulting a student from behind using a t-shirt to choke him. Ypsilanti Community Schools have since terminated the employment of Smith, with Superintendent Alena Zachery-Ross condemning the actions as "absolutely unacceptable."
Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Smith faces charges including felony assault with intent to do great bodily harm by strangulation, and misdemeanor assault and battery as stated by CBS Detroit.
The gravity of the charges reflects the seriousness of the incident, which sparked widespread concern among the school community and parents of the student involved. The student's mother, Yolanda Ellis, expressed to WXYZ her shock at the behavior of someone her son looked up to. Following the attack, the student's father, Steven Moon, revealed that other parents have shared similar concerns about past incidents.
Despite the school district's corrective action, the family's attorney, Raquel Munoz of Vahdat Weisman Law, told clickondetroit that the response to the assault by the district and their understanding of Smith's prior conduct would be scrutinized further.
The parents, who secured a copy of the assault video from police after the school refused their request, are seeking accountability, as communicated in their attorney's statement to WXYZ. In addition, the family's lawyer, Jordan Vahdat, is conducting an independent investigation into past interactions Smith may have had with other students. Amidst these developments, the family and their counsel are awaiting the formal arrest of the accused coach.
