Video Shows Student Being Punched In The Head By Howard High School Staff, Sparking Community Outcry
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- A violent video that emerged on social media shows Howard High School staffers restraining a student on the floor and punching him in the head.
Howard County Police tell WJZ a security guard and school administrator intervened after a student reportedly assaulted several other students in the cafeteria.
"Y'all put too much force on a child that's still in high school," said Tory a freshman at the school.
WARNING- Graphic: from Howard High TODAY showing staffers restraining a student, punching him in the head. @HCPDNews say a student reportedly assaulted other students in the cafeteria. A security guard + school staff intervened - this is how. We'll have the details at 11p @wjz pic.twitter.com/framBJbWiF
— Annie Rose Ramos (@AnnieRoseNews) December 3, 2021
"I was shocked, I couldn't believe what I saw, it was three men on top of one young man," said Desiree, a parent at Howard High School.
Howard County Police confirm one of the security officers seen in the video is a former police officer. They told WJZ his actions Thursday are under investigation.
Another parent shared a message from the school's principal that says the student evaded staff after the fight, forcing the school to go on lockdown.
Now, the school community has questions.
"Most of us are still confused," said Bianca a freshman at the school.
Her mother, Desiree, said it looked as if the student was being manhandled and she feared it could happen to her own child at school.
It's just one of three chaotic scenes that happened in Maryland high schools Thursday.
In Baltimore County, a female student was charged with first-degree assault after a fight broke out at Franklin High School. Another student was seriously hurt and had to be airlifted to the hospital.
And at Frederick County's Linganore High School, police say a 19-year-old threatened another student at knifepoint. He was arrested and charged with assault. No one was hurt.
Back in Howard County, there's hope the school will address what happened, but others fear they won't.
Bianca believes it will be swept under the rug.
Her mother Desiree said "the school should be in talks with the students to give them some closure. We trust them with our children every day, and if this is how they're going to treat them when things go wrong, then why are we sending them here?"
Howard County Public Schools tells WJZ there was no weapon involved in Thursday's incident.