Tuesday, May 9, 2017

RICHMOND COUNTY, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A student says he was choked by a classmate before he punched him the nose. It happened during 6th grade math class. The teacher? Asleep.

A student took a picture of the snoozing teacher and posted it on social media.

Our Call for Action team took the call from the angry mother who shared the picture of the sleeping teacher.

Mikiline Lester usually keeps to himself which is why his mother was surprised he was in trouble at school.

"They told me he punched another child and struck blood and because he did that he is going to be sent to tribunal," Janice Williams said.

It happened at Hephzibah Middle.

"He said the boy grabbed him by his shoulders and then worked his way up to his neck and then just started choking him," she said.

Mikiline, who sees a neurologist and has breathing problems, told his mom he couldn't breath. He said he threw his fist at the other kid to get him off of him.

"I ask where is the teacher? He said she was asleep. And, I'm like she is asleep while you're being choked?"

A classmate snapped the picture of the substitute teacher snoozing away and posted it to social media.

Williams says she showed the school the pictures and told them her son's side of the story. "She told me there is nothing we can do," she said.

Williams called Diana in our Call for Action Office.

"I suggested she call the Board of Education and follow the steps and progress up the ladder," Diana said.

Williams followed Diana's advice.

"They wanted to expunge everything. He's not on any probation. He's not going to tribunal. I wanted to say thank you so much for understanding me and feeling me as a mother," Williams said.

The sub will not go back to Hephzibah Middle. However, she is still able to substitute teach inside of Richmond County Schools. It takes three complaints by schools in a district to have a sub permanently removed.

Please contact our Call for Action Office if you need help solving a problem.