Two students are facing battery charges after brutally assaulting a substitute teacher at a Fort Lauderdale high school, an attack that was caught on video.
On March 13, pandemonium broke out on the campus of Dillard High School when students Jayvis McClover and Roddrick McQueen, both 19, allegedly pounced on a male teacher, striking him multiple times in the face, according to an arrest report.
The teacher fell to the ground, and a video obtained by local station WSVN showed him curled up in a fetal position as one of the attackers straddled him and continued punching.
After a large crowd of onlookers gathered around the fight, security personnel intervened and attempted to pull off the attackers and break up the melee.
While specific details about what precipitated the assault have not been disclosed, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department stated that it happened after the students verbally threatened the teacher.
According to the investigation, the two students “intentionally launched a synchronized physical attack” on the teacher.
Some students interviewed by local station WPLG said the they believe the teacher is partially to blame. The substitute teacher reportedly has a history of provoking students. “That’s the same teacher that be arguing with students and he cursed them out say ‘I’ll fight you after school,'” said one student.
An arrest was made on March 14, and bond was set at $15,000 for McClover, who appeared in court a few days later requesting a bond reduction, which was denied. He has since bonded out.
McQueen was given a $3,000 bond and a pre-trial release, though he was ordered to wear an ankle monitoring device and not to go anywhere near Dillard High School.
“No victim contact. No return to Dillard. And he’s on level two pre-trial with a GPS,” said the judge.
Both suspects will be charged as adults. If convicted, battery against a school employee carries up to one year in jail and financial penalties in Florida.
Violence against educators and school personnel appears to be rising nationally, now well surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
A 2022 study conducted by the American Psychological Association, which surveyed nearly 12,000 educators, found that 56 percent of teachers reported incidents of physical violence committed by students post-pandemic — a 26 percent increase compared to before the pandemic.
“Enough is enough,” said Florida Board of Education member Daniel Foganholi Sr., who took to social media to decry the attack.
He wrote, “Our teachers dedicate their lives to educating and shaping the next generation, yet they continue to face unacceptable risks in the classroom. The violent attack on a Broward teacher by students is beyond disgraceful — it’s a failure of respect, discipline, and accountability. No educator should fear for their safety while doing their job. Schools must be places of learning, not battlegrounds.”
As for the victim, police said has suffered bruising, back pain, and facial swelling.
