‘Deeply disturbing’ video shows middle school teacher fighting student, MO district says

A Missouri school district is investigating after a viral video shows a teacher involved in a fight with a middle-school student.

The fight happened on Monday, Dec. 5, at Westview Middle School in St. Louis, according to Riverview Gardens School District Superintendent Joylynn Pruitt-Adams.

The district did not identify the teacher or the student.

It’s unclear what led to the altercation. Video shared on Facebook shows the teacher and student bringing each other to the ground. The teacher then appears to throw multiple punches as the student grabs the teacher’s hair..

“This incident was captured in a deeply disturbing video that is circulating on news and social media,” the school district said in a letter to parents obtained by McClatchy News. “Riverview Gardens School District does not condone violence and takes violent behavior seriously.”

The school district is investigating the incident and is “cooperating with local authorities,” the superintendent said.

Parents and community members are invited by the district to attend a town hall meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 13, to discuss school safety.

“RGSD is committed to working in partnership with community and district stakeholders to ensure a safe learning environment to educating scholars in the Riverview Gardens community.”

This story was originally published December 8, 2022 at 9:19 AM with the headline "‘Deeply disturbing’ video shows middle school teacher fighting student, MO district says."