A Mississippi teacher has been terminated by the Greenville Public School District because of what she did to a special needs student. Linda Winters-Johnson was caught on video hitting and dragging the teenager by her hair. The video has gone viral and has elicited an uproar from the public.
The Washington Post reports that the incident happened on Sept. 21 during a gym class. It is unclear how it started but the video showed Linda Winters-Johnson pinning the special needs student to the floor before grabbing her hair and dragging her across the gym.
A concerned parent posted the video on her Facebook, which has since gone viral. A second video revealed that Linda Winters-Johnson also hit the special needs student on her head with a drinking bottle. Those who saw the video questioned why no one else was intervening when the teacher was physically hurting the special needs student.
The Greenville Public School District has deliberated on the incident since the video exploded on the internet. On Monday, Oct. 17, the board announced that Linda Winters-Johnson is effectively terminated. The school superintendent, Leeson Taylor, was also asked to take an administrative leave with pay, CBS News reports.
Meanwhile, the Office of Educator Misconduct in Mississippi is going to do further investigations to determine whether Linda Winters-Johnson can keep her license as a special needs teacher. Her actions against the special needs student might be the first one caught on video but it's possible that this is not the first time it happened.
Greenville's mayor also expressed concern for the incident, citing that the school district has been tasked to do what is appropriate. "The issue was one that raised concerns about staff professionalism and the safety and treatment of our students," Mayor Errick D. Simmons said, the Clarion Ledger reports. "As a parent of a student who attends Greenville High, I am deeply concerned like many of you," he added.
The decision regarding Linda Winters-Johnson's special needs license is expected to come out in early November. Watch how the incident played out below but be warned that it is disturbing.
