LAUDERDALE LAKES, FLA. (WSVN) - An eighth-grader appeared in juvenile court, Wednesday, accused of body slamming a Lauderdale Lakes Middle School teacher.
Fourteen-year-old Joshua Reed was arrested and charged with a felony after, officials said, he body slammed a female science teacher.
Students who witnessed the attack said Reed and the teacher got into an argument over a cellphone, and the argument escalated within seconds.
According to the affidavit, on March 6, Reed “picked the victim up in the air and took her to the floor aggressively, causing minor injury to the victim.”
Students said the chaos and commotion was frightening.
“When I first came over there, I didn’t know where she was,” said a student. “I was looking for her, and I was really scared for her.”
Parent Greg Headley was flabbergasted to hear the news. “Not here. Not here,” he said. “A teacher? Not another student? A teacher. That’s ridiculous. You come here to learn. I mean, this is an exceptional school right here.”
“He has to be punished for it,” said parent Frances Hutton. “He knows right from wrong. Why did he do it? I don’t know why.”
7News stopped by Reed’s house for a response, but no one answered the door.
Some parents said that these situations can be prevented with proper parenting. “You listen, follow instruction. This is the advice we need to give our kids,” said parent Rose Marclin.
“You hit an adult,” said Headley. “I know that parents did not raise this child like that, so where’s it coming from? Anger?”
The Broward Teachers Union said the teacher involved is now recovering and will not return to the school this week.
This incident remains under investigation.
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