On Feb. 21, 17-year-old Brendan Depa attacked his teacher’s aid, Joan Naydich, when she wouldn’t allow him to play his Nintendo Switch in class. The incident was caught on the school’s surveillance video, where Depa was seen kicking and punching the teacher in the back and head, knocking her unconscious. The teen weighs 270 pounds and stands 6’6.
Naydich was taken to the hospital and treated for her injuries. Her family launched a GoFundMe that raised over $100,000 to assist with medical and living expenses while she was out of work.
Depa, now 18, is being charged as an adult and faces up to 30 years in prison.
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Depa’s attorney, Kurt Teifke, voiced his concerns about the judge’s decision.
“I have great concerns,” the attorney said. “I am not confining my opinions to diagnosis. Not at all. I’m talking about its manifestations. I’m talking about the behavior and the interactions and, frankly, everything that happens.”
Teifke described his client’s condition as “a cocktail of mental health disorders.”
Depa appeared in court on Oct. 11 for a pre-trial hearing. The 18-year-old teen is expected to plead guilty to avoid trial. His lawyer asked for an Oct. 30 plea hearing.
* ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
https://www.blackenterprise.com/autistic-student-faces-up-to-30-years-behind-bars-after-attacking-a-teacher-victim-will-not-assist-in-reducing-his-sentence/amp/