DA says high schooler who slapped teacher twice in face will be tried as an adult

According to Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill, the student in question — 17-year-old Aquavious Hickman — stated he would kill the female Parkland High School teacher, WRAL-TV reported.

What’s the background?

In the April 15 video, the teacher remains seated and offers no resistance as the student slaps her twice in the face; the second slap sends the teacher’s glasses flying.

“The f***’s wrong with you?” the student asks the teacher after the physical attack. “What you gonna do, still sit in that chair ’cause you a bitch … ain’t nobody even coming, you got slapped, bitch go back to teaching …”

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At that time, when asked if he would try the student as an adult, O’Neill noted to WGHP-TV that he cannot bring the case to superior court because the charges are only misdemeanors.

However, WRAL noted in its Monday morning report that a grand jury returned the “true bills of indictment” last week against the juvenile for second-degree kidnapping of a teacher by unlawfully confining and restraining her without her consent for the purpose of terrorizing her. Second-degree kidnapping is a felony under state law.

The juvenile also was indicted on the original charges of assault on a government official and communicating threats, WRAL said.

In addition, the juvenile was indicted for second-degree kidnapping of a teacher in a separate incident, WRAL reported, adding that on Feb. 1 he unlawfully confined and restrained a male teacher without consent to terrorize him. The juvenile also was charged with misdemeanor riots in connection with the Feb. 1 incident, during which O’Neill said he didn’t act alone, WGHP said in a separate story.

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Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Tricia McManus told WGHP soon after the slaps caught on video that a district hearing would determine consequences for the student — and McManus said she would recommend expulsion.

Additional allegation

Also last month, a former Parkland substitute teacher told WGHP in another story that the student who slapped the teacher twice in the face physically attacked him last year.

Larry Edwards — who has about 40 years of teaching experience and taught at the high school for about 13 years before retiring and becoming a substitute teacher there — told WGHP the student pushed him in the head.

“I was appalled,” Edwards told the station, noting that he was subbing for a biology class in early May 2023 when the student gave him another student’s name and wasn’t supposed to be in the class.

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Edwards told the station he reported the alleged assault that day, writing an affidavit and presenting it to high school administrators: “The principal was very apologetic. … About a month later, I got this letter from downtown, the juvenile office … I anxiously awaited a day for the court so I could see him in the courtroom because I just wanted to face him.”

But Edwards said he was told authorities went a different route, adding to WGHP that he believes it was “sort of swept under the rug.”

A district spokesperson told the station regarding Edwards’ claims that federal law mandates that student discipline records are private and cannot be shared, and the district cannot comment.

* Original Article:

https://www.theblaze.com/news/da-says-high-schooler-who-slapped-teacher-twice-in-face-will-be-tried-as-an-adult