ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – A viral video showing a student and teacher fighting at a Texas middle school has led to an eighth grade student's arrest.
The video appears to show a student attacking a teacher over a cell phone dispute at Bowie Middle School in Odessa.
A spokesperson for the Ector County Independent School District said the incident happened on Wednesday.
Following the fight, the eighth grader was arrested and charged with a first degree felony: Aggravated Assault of a Public Servant.
"This is shocking and terrible, and will not be tolerated," said Mike Adkins, spokesperson for the district. "We have been dealing with fights and violence recently, and want our community to know that behavior is unacceptable and we will do all we can to prevent it."
In addition to the student's criminal charge, Adkins said the student will "face disciplinary action through the Student Code of Conduct."
"We have watched violence among children on the rise here, around the state and across the country; we know our children are hurting and need us to address mental health challenges, while we also hold them accountable for their actions. Our district will continue to address these concerns with students and families," he said.
The district superintendent acknowledged students in the area need more help coping with mental health challenges.
“We do not have enough mental health resources to meet the needs of kids and families in this community," said Superintendent Scott Muri. "We’ve brought in teletherapy, our kids now have access to therapists remotely. These therapists exist in other parts of our state. That is now an opportunity at ECISD, but even with that addition there still aren’t enough resources for kids and families."
