The North Carolina substitute teacher who went viral for fighting a high-school student over a cell phone that she confiscated from her has turned to social media to give her side of the story.
Xaviera Steele and the student she fought both have been charged with simple assault, according to ABC11 Eyewitness News. The incident took place during the morning of Monday, April 17 at Rocky Mount High School in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
Steele gave a heartfelt message and posted the videos on social media. She started off the videos by thanking everyone that supported her and gave her background working with children.
“I’ve been working with the young people for 22 years. I started off in high school tutoring young folks. In elementary, I taught dance, cheerleading, drill team. I’ve taught Sunday school … praise and worship dance.” She added that she’s provided “office support in the school district” before saying, “and now I’m here as a substitute teacher.”
“In all of my 22 years, never have I’ve ever experienced what I’ve experienced this Monday. I’ve never been attacked by young folks. I love young people; this is why I work with them. I have a heart for them,” said Steele. “That young lady attacked me, and she went for blood.” She went on to say that the student ripped off an “inch of my hairline.”
She continued by showing the hair the student pulled off the side of her head. Steele also said that someone made a fake page of her that said she stated “f*** the kids and f*** the job.”
“It was never f*** the kids because our kids are our future. But imma tell you this, she was in my space. She was behind the desk. I followed protocol for whoever said that I touched her first. And I tried to call for an administrator or somebody at the office,” said Steele in her Instagram video.
Steele also went on to explain incidents she said had taken place in the school within about a month’s time. She explained that two teachers were knocked unconscious by kicks from other students and another teacher had a gun pulled on her.
“As much as I love the kids, I cannot put my life or my livelihood in danger, anymore. I will be saying goodbye to this profession. I went to school three times for real estate. Oh yes, I’m being faced with charges as well, as well, behind this,” said Steele.
She continued, “If I get a charge on my record, there goes my career again … I have four children. My children would never. You best believe I raised my kids right. They would never disrespect authority of any kind or an adult. They know to come to me.”
She finished her video by thanking everyone who sent donations to a GoFundMe page that her husband started. Steele also expressed that so many people are leaving the teaching profession and she encouraged parents to spend time with their children.
“Please raise your children, spend time with them, and love on them. Teach them right from wrong and teach them to respect authority. If you want to keep a job or go into these professional places then you have to follow protocol,” she said.
Steele’s husband also showed his support for his wife in a video he posted, saying “nobody died” and that “this time,” no one was “seriously injured.”
Steele reportedly was employed with the Nash County Public School System for almost a year. The incident also shed more light on the bill that North Carolina lawmakers are considering that would enforce stricter penalties for assaults on school professionals, according to ABC11 Eyewitness News.
I dont blame her its very dangerous now children want to be the adult it just crazy you go there to teach them and they don’t want to be taught
We Need Help
I don’t think the teacher should be charged,the student attack the teacher,and for one the student was out of line. There is no respect at all from these young people. What happened to the morals and values?
Why is the teacher getting arrested or a lock up in ja n had to bond out. They are human beings to. They don’t come to work and leave home they kids husband to come to they job to get hit beating kick slap stomp shot up or a gun pull out on them. I think the child should have got locked up charges on the child. The teacher has very right to defend herself at all times. And she call for help three times. Get u a lawyer used the school and they child parents
🙏🏻🕯️🙏🏻💖💖💖
Don’t blame you one bit for leaving or following school protocol for defending yourself. So many teachers are leaving the profession due to behavioral issues of students. They are out of control!!
The only person who can and should truly speak to this situation is in this case the teacher; our children everywhere are wilding out and it appears that no one is home or no one cares anymore. Todays children are suffering from an unexplainable depravity enabled by parental neglect due to economic crisises. To fix the problem we must fix the system but for too many of our children the dam is broken and spillage is everywhere. I don’t fault the teacher for protecting herself I feel bad for the child who felt that it was ok to disrespect the adult. Parents we got to do a better job of educating our babies. Praying for all parties.
There are many things wrong these days. When prayer was removed from schools things started to get bad. What we are experiencing today is the result of Liberalism destroying our country starting with small children
The prison population is growing because of lax disciplinevatvhomebkeading to unrestrained young people thi king they can do as they please and get away with it.
The only children I deal with are the ones in my family because I know that they know how to act because their parents don’t play that. In this day and age I would never take a job that involves working with children. The kids are disrespectful and the parents are disrespectful. That’s why a lot of these kids do what they do because they know that they won’t suffer any repercussions from their parents. As a kid we never would have thought of standing up in an adult’s face talking about fighting them because we would have been too scared of what our parents would do to us. Our parents handled the adults and they didn’t do it in front of us and they didn’t try to fight the teacher. God bless anyone who works with kids today.
I’ve been a School Bus Driver for the past 15 years, after serving as a PROBATION OFFICER for 20 years & Menta Health Counselor part-time for 9 years AND have TWO Grown Children..I was raised OLE SKOOL; I was taught and taught My Children there were TWO PLACES u BET NOT SHOW YOUR ASS: School and Church; And if I or my Children came initially at a Adult like I/They were Grown, that Adult has EVERY RIGHT to Treat me/them like an Adult….That changed for most parents in the 80’s but Folks like me, that applies even today…Unless a Child today, KNOWS Exactly COULD HAPPEN to them if they wanna come at an Adult like they’re grown, situations like this episode will occur; I tell the Young People I transport, especially the Junior and High School Students that it’s about Respect; I respect them & they respect me; If any of them wanna come at me like they’re grown, I’m gonna treat them like THEY’RE GROWN…Period😤
This is sad , when your child leaves yo house to school that teacher become that parent for the next 8hours not only that one teacher all of them because they have to educate your child for this crazy world, These teachers are to be respected because they have a life too and family and kid’s, And I’m lk this mother u don’t get out of line with me and put your hands on me, She has a great point I love kids but u won’t kick my ass, and for that child to step too her lk a (grown woman) and then put her hands on her, what is she to do (DEFEND HERSELF,) not only that to call for help to the office letting them know that she has a disrespectful student in her class that needs to be removed they should be in trouble as well for not responding to her urgent call not her going to jail, this shit is crazy, kids think they have the right to do that, I can speak on this because I have (5) kids they all knew not to play with me all of them graduated from high School because I’m with the teacher the ph should not been in that class u go to school to learn not to talk or play on your ph….
Well really it’s a bigger issue that’s going on here and everybody is overlooking it this teacher is already stressed out then the kid just made her take all of her stre
I don’t blame her for not wanting to teach any more. These kids are out of control, some parents are scared of their own children and are being attacked by their kids. So teachers or anyone else don’t have a chance, this is really gonna be the lost generation. So sad. Parents have to start teaching and training their kids at a young age, Spend TIME, Show them they are LOVED if not…this is what happens
They don’t have a big mama in their life cuz if they did they wouldn’t have done the things they do cuz Big Mama didn’t play
Mrs Steele God bless you there is no way that a child is going to try to put hands on anyone especially someone older God does not like ugly and thank God you are alright pray for people maybe you can sit down with that girl and have her listen not to hurt her but consequences of her actions
That Pettit child had the boldness to raise her hands and hit the teacher. It looks like something she already even when not in school. Charity begins at home. This is something she does most likely when she’s not having her way. We are already loosing teachers at school, here is another one gone now. I wish it didn’t have to end like this.
Please love and pray for our children, they are our future, I tell you what, these are signs of the end times.
Bless you sista..am 50 I been left the school and they bs..sad sad my lil cuz 25 had to quite her job in Memphis as a teacher..a kid Tried spitting on her..ahw call her mom @teacher 40 years..she told her to get some time or leave..its so sad. Am with you ms.steele you invade my space… we going to war child 😤 or not..salute Ms.Steele
I would of wope her ass too shit .like once u avaid my space than ya fave I shall replace .now what if that student shot that teacher than it would of been .all were live at channel 9 news.but being tho she protected herself it’s throw her ass to the wolves that girl need her Bea again by the teacher and by the mother
I commend you young lady, the student was truly out of order, because I would have done the same thing.
I am a mother of 3 grandmother of 7 with 2 great grandchildren. I’m old school my parents taught me and my siblings right from wrong, they taught us respect our elders. I was told if you disrespect there’s consequences other word cause & effect, we knew better than to cuss or disrespect, this generation thinks that is cute as older lady of 71 my kids and grandkids & great grandkids won’t do that. Morals in today society is no more you just can’t try to be tough because it will get you hurt or killed. When the lady was calling someone to get a teacher nobody responded and that’s bad. Sad for the student but that teacher had no choice but to respond the way she did.
NOTE TO TEACHERS! If she can be charged for what looks like was started by the student, then if TEACHERS are armed what will be considered self defense. Will it be only if the student shoots first? I hope you all don’t fall for the arm teachers plan.
Today it’s a phone but Republicans want to put “guns” in educators hands. If the teachers are stressed now just wait.🥺
So sorry you had to go through this horrible process, I pray all is well with you and your family and they drop the charges on you.
God bless
I’m retired from the department of corrections after 33 years. I wouldn’t work a day in the school system. They have empowered the students to be disrespectful. They have created an environment that’s not conducive for learning. I don’t have the patience to allow a child to be disrespectful. This nation is becoming lawlessness. Kids are robbing and killing. Society’s decisions are ruling are future leaders.
As long as authority locks up the adults for kids behavior. Kids going to keep acting out. Authority doesn’t want kids to obey there teacher’s and parents. Why because they’re waiting for the kids to get big enough so they can keep the prison system going. I pray for all teachers everyday, because children are, our future. But if system doesn’t get it right with these kids, then these kids will be our nightmare. I pray for this teacher to keep hope alive.
Ypu no the mother are scare of what they had .It’s a dam shame.That lady should not have loose her job Where is her mother .O they think it’s cool.A bunch of demons.Really.you no she no she were wrong.she is wrong disrespectful.Its so wrong she ack like that She was wrong .
Bless you when I watched this video I was stuck, unbelievable. This is the reason I left teaching after 30 years. Burnt out and I knew if I stayed I would be in jail. It’s not your fault for defending yourself. These kids today is out of control and no respect for adults and authority. I will continue to pray your strength 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Okay, according to “basic principles” the adult was not suppose to hit/discipline the child. But the minute that student raised her hand, with the intent to do bodily harm, she forfeited her assumed right. It was at that point she put herself on the same level as the adult. She was not being abused. She pouted because her phone was taken away. She assumed she had the upper hand. She was wrong. And besides…I thought students had to abide by a code of conduct, just like faculty and staff.
Someone eluded that things went to hell in a handbasket when prayer was removed from school. I used to believe that (briefly). It is not the removal of prayer from school…it is the removal of prayer from the home.
This teacher stated that she teaches her children to show respect. Did this teens parents teach her the same? And if they did, where and when did this young woman lose that moral code? If I were a parent and that was my child, I would find out.
Have the parents made any statements regarding this incident? Has the school shown any support for the teacher? Is the student remorseful?
The poor woman reacted to being attacked. As I am sure many other adults would have when they have been pushed to their limit. This was not a spur of the moment retaliation. She reached her threshold.
And isn’t NC a Stand Your Ground state? Well…that’s what she did!
In the video that I saw, the kid was in your space and decided to take a swing at you. You blocked her swing but I have no doubt that she would have continued to assault you had you not taken the action that you did. I know you hated to respond to her like that but what recourse did you have? Teachers are getting shot by 6 year olds. Teachers are not respected as authority. You are first and formost human, with an unalienable right to protect yourself. I pray there are no lasting repercussions and that you will be able to attain employment in a field that you love just as much. I pray also for the student, that she will realize that there is certain order in this world and if she expects to have a successful life, she needs to get with it! Hang in there, as us old folks say. Hang in there.
I agree with #7; Cameron Triplett & others;Cameron got it right when they said this behavior started when they removed prayer from school, and calling this the Result of Liberalism…SO TRUEj, but just the tip of the iceburg, as they say; an entire generation has been purposely ruined by the ideals & Laws that have been pushed thru by these Liberals and their Principles, including but not limited to Removal of prayer, Direspect of Law Enforcement, Disrespect of anyone in Power, teachers, this awful age of Entitlement that we ALL are seeing for ourselves…the looking for free handouts everywhere, NOT learning that you should WORK towards earning things you want…NOT having to answer for or being responsible for ANY of your actions…These ways were/are being taught to our kids from super early ages, with very specific, evil intents to
Indoctrinate kids into this wortless way of life, to NOT learn all the Basic ways of growing up to be a Decent person, to NOT LEARN, EARN, Work for a Living, but to only be Entitled and looking for free handouts, to take from others who HAVE worked for what they have…and I am getting WAY off course and rambling…but any child who had been RAISED with just a basic sense of Decency would never DREAM of acting as this student did… Act terrible till you get what your spoiled ass wants ! How Dare you take MY PHONE, I Have no rules to follow…I could go on & on…HOPEFULLY, this “Age of Entitlement” will pass, SOON… What happened here at the school with the cell phone is a direct result of this Liberal, Entitled Way of thinking….I think that maybe this student, and others need to appear before, (not a jury), but before a panel of their “peers”, a group formed out of students that havent been ruined, and are respected by even these problem students, appear before them and MAKE them realize the errors of their ways, to hand down “punishments” that will make it clear to these problem children, that behaving, having respect for others, and EARNING things that you want, changing the way they think & act CAN RESULT in Feeling GOOD about oneself…I could go on & on, some people will know what I am TRYING to say…It is NOT TOO LATE to Reverse the Damage done,in the past 10 or so years; REMOVING HOME VALUES & BASIC SMARTS & REMOVING PARENTS/ELDERS/TEACHERS/LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM ANYONE YOU SHOW RESPECT TO and to RELY ON FREE STUFF and What you can TAKE FROM OTHERS who had EARNED IT, …SHOW these wayward kids HOW to UN-LEARN all this incorrect garbage that theyve been raised to believe in…SHOW THEM WHAT A DIFFERENT GOOD FEELING YOU CAN GET BY LEARNING, EARNING…”PRIDE IN A JOB WELL DONE”,
Earning Respect fir Yourself..Teaching Others, Caring for others besides yourself
uggh
Am currently teaching in a middle school and I tell you,what you watched in that video is a tip of the iceberg,these kids are out of control,many teachers suffer in silence and the system hasn’t been programmed to help a teacher,these kids come to school and wanna treat teachers as slaves,she or he will drop a pen and yell out to you,Mr.So and so,can you pick that pen for me?they believe teachers are servants and I think this starts from home.God bless all teachers,this is not an easy job.
They need to start charging the parents and students. If a child has no accountability, hold the parent accountable. It starts at home, image as a parent you getting charged for your childs actions. Why , because your not doing your part at home as a parent. Child brings a gun to School, parent and child charged.It gets the parents more involved in what their child is doing. I know it would make me more aware of what my child is up to at all times
I don’t blame the teacher at all respect is taught at home first of all.but now a days the parents are getting High with there kids,drinking with them clubbing with them.kids of 2023 has no respect for there elders at all.so if you want to be grown you get treated like you grown.if I don’t tolerate it from my own kids.why should I have to come to my job and tolerate off some one else’s disrespectful kid.it’s the teacher for me
How dare they charge that teacher that teacher didn’t do anything wrong now that hyperlucent piece of shit daughter, or kid? She’s a piece of shit and her parents should be in barest I promise you someone put hands on my mother she would be dealing with all my poor my mothers kids, that girl is a menace to society she a no earthly good no good whatever come out of her that’s a damn shame they doing that to that teacher you guys are wrong. M is staying somebody’s gonna catch a little ass on the street and beat the living shit out of you.
She’s a substitute not a teacher! This is all the more reason why she should have given the phone to the student and allowed administrators to deal with it. Now the substitute has more to lose than the student. It is important for substitutes to know where they begin and end when working in the classrooms.
I hope the teacher gets more charges then a simple assault charge WOW unbelievable this goes to show how screwed up this country is yes the student was wrong was hitting a teacher but she coul have went to the office and called the cops I dare any teacher to lay any hand on my kids ever illbe in jail with them raise your kids right yes but unfortunately that is not the world live for everyone we leave our kids with these people to educate them not hurt them I hope the kids okay and I hope this teacher gets more then what she got
I know teacher was trying to defend herself because that kid was not going to backdown but teacher shouldn’t have faught the student like they were mates. Call on the disciplinary committee to address issue. That way, you keep your job and respect. Lots of things out there everyday to tempt and pull down our reputation. You quiting sounds like the kid won the fight. Be-aware!
The substitute teacher was out of line. She had other options and you all should be ashamed of yourselves for saying she didn’t. The 14yr old was going for her phone not blood and the teacher chose to body bump the girl 3 times and the girl swung on her. Body bumping someone is a form of aggression she escalated the situation instead of giving the girl her phone and sending her to the office. If you’re ok with that teacher behaving like that with a child then stop complaining about police mishandling black people
For the people saying the substitute was wrong, you have shit on your brains or what? Are you blind or lack the necessary neurons to not make retarded comments?
You bunch of fuckers, AGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGINAGGIN
SREGGIN
Back to africa with all of you. It’s quite obvious that blacks can’t act civilized in White society, be it amongst themselves or mixed company.
This isn’t a new problem, it has been this way since 1865. There is plenty of footage documenting a that 100 years later in 1965 that blacks refused to learn in school (if they bothered to show up at all).
From their own mouths, the students said if there is no corporal punishment then they will continue to act like animals.
Feel free to look up the study when M.S. 73 in Bed-Stuy N.Y. (90%black, 10% p.r.) was investigated for its failing to turn out students who could read by age 14. NYU went in for months & weren’t able to change a thing.
Even the black teacher said rather than trying to teach them math or science, they should only be taught how to socialize in polite society. It’s not in their genetics to act civilized & a step in evolution would be necessary for blacks to move beyond animalistic behavior.