A Florida teacher, Bennie Leverett, and Vice Principal Tashiska Fabian were both arrested on child abuse charges after a disturbing video showed Leverett allegedly choking a 14-year-old student at Progress Village Middle School. The incident occurred on January 18 and was caught on camera by students who were horrified as Leverett wrestled the boy to the ground, restricting his ability to breathe. The footage, which was shared by authorities, captures students yelling, “He can’t! He’s dying! You’re killing him!” as Leverett held the student in a chokehold. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office stated that instead of reporting the altercation, Vice Principal Fabian instructed the student to delete the footage. Detectives were later able to recover the video.
The student eventually managed to wrestle free and stand up before Leverett allegedly pushed him out of the classroom. While the exact cause of the altercation is unclear, the situation led to an investigation, and both Leverett and Fabian have not returned to campus since February, according to Law and Crime.
Leverett was arrested on March 14 and charged with child abuse, while Fabian was charged for allegedly attempting to cover up the incident. Both were released on bond—Leverett on $5,000, and Fabian on $2,500. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister expressed his dismay, calling the situation a “complete betrayal of trust within our community” and commended the student who recorded the video for stepping forward.
