OAN’s Avril Elfie
6:08 PM – Wednesday, May 15, 2024
The principal was arrested on May 11th.th After strangling and whipping a young student with a belt. He also slapped the child in the face, all of which was captured on surveillance video.
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He continued to physically assault and restrain students against their will in the classroom for over an hour.
Shortly afterward, Marion County Sheriff’s Office officials responded to a call regarding a “physical dispute between a student and principal.”
The principal was later arrested on charges of aggravated child abuse and unlawful imprisonment of a child under 13, police said.
Principal Dontay Hakeem Prophet, 33, worked at Destiny Leadership Academy, a private school in Ocala, Florida. Five years ago he was also reportedly arrested for sexually abusing another child. It is unclear how the Prophet was able to obtain a position at the school with his previous arrest.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office released a statement detailing the altercation.
“During the investigation, classroom surveillance footage was obtained that revealed that Prophet prevented the children from leaving the room for over 40 minutes,” authorities said. “Surveillance camera footage showed him grabbing the victim, pinning him to the ground and strangling him. The Prophet used a charging cable to hit the child, causing the child to fall and sustain injuries. He then twisted the child’s ankle, slapped him in the face, and physically abused him.”
When questioned by responding agents, Prophet told officers he was trying to keep the child out of harm’s way, but police said in a statement that this claim was contradicted by video evidence. .
Police also said that after speaking with Prophet, he was “taken into custody at the Marion County Jail” and is currently being held without bail.
Authorities did not release the child’s identity, including his age or condition. An investigation is still ongoing to determine what caused the incident in the first place.
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