A South Florida teacher has been reassigned following allegations of choking an 11-year-old student, Kendrick, during a field trip to the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale. According to a report by WSVN, the incident, captured on video, took place days before Christmas. After an altercation over chips with another student during lunch was diffused, Kendrick claimed the teacher then attacked him, stating, "She choked me and she slapped me."
Footage of the event revealed a disturbing encounter as Kendrick was pulled onto a bench and had profanities shouted at him by the teacher. "She was grabbing my throat. I couldn't talk; I wanted to get her off me," Kendrick told WSVN. He hypothesizes the educator might have mistakenly believed he was attempting to aggressively confront the other student again.
The boy's mother, Yasmine François, was initially informed by the school that her son had been involved in a fight and consequently disciplined him. François's perception of the event shifted dramatically after being sent the video. "You're a teacher, and this is how you address your student? That's the language? Is that the vocabulary you use to speak to a kid?" she voiced in disbelief during an interview with WSVN.
Broward County Public Schools is actively investigating the altercation. Details about the duration of the investigation are not currently available. Meanwhile, the student involved was suspended for three days for his role in the lunchroom scuffle. Prominent civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump commented on the incident, calling for justice and underlining that no child should have to endure violence from a teacher. "An 11-yo boy says he was choked and slapped by a teacher during a field trip after a minor fight with a peer," Crump stated on Instagram.
