Current:Home > ScamsMichigan coach fired, facing charges after video shows him choking teen at middle school -Infinite Edge Capital
Michigan coach fired, facing charges after video shows him choking teen at middle school
View
Date:2025-04-15 11:57:49
A Michigan middle school coach was fired and is facing criminal charges after video captured him running up behind a student and using his shirt to grab him by the neck.
The former coach, whose name has not been released by authorities or the middle school, was charged with assault with the intent to cause bodily harm by strangulation and assault and battery, Washtenaw County prosecuting Attorney Eli Savit told USA TODAY Thursday.
The charges stem from June 4 at Ypsilanti Community Middle School, when the coach, working as a hall monitor, ordered a 14-year-old student identified by his family as Michael Moon to do pushups for "horse-playing with another student," the family's attorney, Jordan Vahdat, told USA TODAY.
Michael told the coach that he could not do the pushups because of a bike-riding hand injury. That's when the coach apparently pounced.
Surveillance video shows Michael trying to do the pushups on his knees before showing the coach that he cannot. Michael then enters a classroom and is soon escorted back to the hallway by the coach. When Michael walks away, the coach removes his own shirt, approaches Michael from behind and wraps it around the boy's neck, appearing to choke him, the video shows.
Michael endured a back injury and "mental anguish" from the man he once considered a "trusted coach," Vahdat said.
"What's really disturbing when you watch it is it looks like he's done this before because he wrapped it around his wrists," Vahdat told USA TODAY Thursday. "That's what makes it so horrible to watch because it's violent. This shows the intent there was to harm. He held him there for four or five seconds."
Coach fired immediately, now charged
The coach was immediately fired, banned from school property and from barred attending school activities, according to the Ypsilanti Community School District, which did not provide his name.
"The actions of the employee are absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our district," Ypsilanti Community Schools Superintendent Alena Zachery-Ross said in a statement. "We will continue to implement and enforce policies that protect our students and ensure their well-being."
Zachery-Ross told the school community in a letter Monday that law enforcement and social services authorities were promptly contacted after the incident.
The coach's case was not yet publicly listed in court records. Savit said the prosecutor's office could not name the coach until his arraignment hearing, which should be held in coming weeks.
Parents 'horrified' to see what happened
Moon's mother, Yolanda Ellis, said she was "horrified" seeing footage of her son being attacked, Detroit news station WXYZ-TV reported.
"It made me lose trust in the school system," Ellis told the station. "It also made me lose trust in that coach because he was someone that Michael looked up to."
The teen's father, Steve Moon, said he needs the man to pay for what he did to his son, the station reported.
"That means being fired, losing his job and sitting in jail," Steve Moon said. "I need him to know that what he did was wrong."
Vahdat said that the Moon family will be seeking monetary damages from the school and coach.
veryGood! (81)
Related
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- 'American Idol' judge Luke Bryan doesn't know if he or Lionel Richie will return
- What is the Nathan's hot dog eating contest record? List of champions, records
- Federal Reserve minutes: Inflation is cooling, but more evidence is needed for rate cuts
- Average rate on 30
- Taylor Lautner's Wife Tay Lautner Shares Breast Cancer Scare
- Italian appeals court reduces sentences for 2 Americans convicted of killing policeman
- Taiwan demands release of fishing vessel it says was seized by China's coast guard
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- US agency to fight invasive bass threatening humpback chub, other protected fish in Grand Canyon
Ranking
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Dress appropriately and you can get a free Krispy Kreme doughnut on July 4th: Here's how
- About the security and return rate of LANDUN FINANCIAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE LTD platform
- Stock market today: Japan’s Nikkei 225 hits new record close, leading Asian shares higher
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Cybersecurity breach could delay court proceedings across New Mexico, public defenders office says
- Trump or Biden? Investors are anxious about the 2024 election. Here's how to prepare
- Kris Jenner Shares Plans to Remove Ovaries After Tumor Diagnosis
Recommendation
Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
Jane Fonda says being 'white and famous' provided her special treatment during 2019 arrest
Ranger injured and armed person making threats dies at Yellowstone, park says
LeBron James reaches two-year agreement to remain with Lakers and team up with son, Bronny
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
Robert Towne, legendary Hollywood screenwriter of Chinatown, dies at 89
Jane Fonda says being 'white and famous' provided her special treatment during 2019 arrest
Massachusetts lawmakers seek to expand scope of certain sexual offenses