A Florida teacher and vice principal have been arrested on child abuse charges after a shocking video of the teacher apparently strangling a student was made public for allegedly trying to cover it up.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said on Jan. 18 that Progress Village Middle School teacher Benny Leverett was caught on camera shoving a male student to the ground in a classroom and “restricting his breathing.” said In a press release.
The student was 14 years old at the time of the incident. Police report the Daily Mail Obtained.
Footage shared by authorities on Facebook purportedly shows the chaotic incident with other children screaming and begging Leverett to stop.
A teacher and vice principal at Progress Village Middle School have been arrested following an investigation into child abuse captured on camera. “It is extremely disturbing when a teacher harms a student, but even more disturbing when someone in a position of authority fails to do the right thing and report the crime. This is a complete betrayal of the trust of our community,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “I am proud of the witness who reported the incident and allowed law enforcement to intervene and bring justice to the victim.” More details: https://teamhcso.com/News/PressRelease/74ab42e0-b1e3-4730-ae03-2855673bc2fe/en-US
Contributor Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Friday, September 6, 2024
The 39-year-old teacher claims the student was “unresponsive” as he pinned him to the floor, with other students shouting back: “He can't respond!”
“You can't do this! He's dying! He's killing me!” the girl behind the camera can be heard saying.
The video ends with the student struggling to get up and then allegedly being shown by Leverett shoving the student out of the classroom.
It is unclear what started the physical confrontation, but police said that instead of reporting the incident, the deputy principal, Tasithka Fabian, 41, “instructed students to delete the footage.”
“The video was deleted but was later recovered by detectives,” the sheriff's office said.
Leverett was arrested and charged with child abuse after an initial investigation on March 14, and Fabian was arrested Wednesday for allegedly trying to cover it up.
Tasiska Fabian (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)
“It is extremely disturbing when a teacher harms a student, but even more disturbing when someone in a position of authority fails to do the right thing and report the crime. This is a complete betrayal of the trust of our community,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “I am proud of the witness who reported the incident and allowed law enforcement to intervene and bring justice to the victim.”
Leverett and Fabian have not been on campus since the investigation. It has begun Law and Crime magazine reported in February.
Leverett is Pleaded The defendant was found not guilty and released on $5,000 bail, while Fabian was released on $2,500 bail on Wednesday, the release said. Tampa Bay Times.
