Georgia high school teacher hospitalized after brutal student attack: 'We need zero tolerance'

Rockdale County, Georgia, authorities are reviewing a now-viral video after a student’s attack on a teacher left the longtime educator hospitalized.

The video shows an altercation between a student and a teacher, who was identified as English language arts teacher Tiwana Turner on a GoFundMe, inside a classroom at Heritage High School on January 26. An argument escalated into a physical attack when the student slammed the classroom door on Turner and then began hitting her.

The attack continued in the hallway, where the 27-year-old teacher was thrown to the ground and repeatedly beaten, resulting in her hospitalization. The GoFundMe account said she is unable to walk after suffering knee and leg injuries, including a broken leg.

Turner’s recovery will include “extensive rehabilitation and therapy” and he will be unable to work “in the short term,” the account said.

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A student is seen assaulting Rockdale County Public Schools teacher Tiwana Turner after Turner attempted to correct the student’s behavior.
(Video Screenshot/WAGA)

According to GoFundMe, Turner was covering another class for a coworker who was absent that day. When she attempted to “redirect the off-task behavior” of a student, the student physically assaulted her.

The student is a ninth grader and has been charged with aggravated assault, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Verdaillia Turner, president of the Georgia Federation of Teachers, told Fox 5 Atlanta that she was angry about the video and that incidents like it directly contribute to teacher shortages across the country.

“Students are out of control… there is no excuse for violence… there is no excuse for kids who come to our school every day and wreak havoc so other students can’t learn,” he told the outlet.

He added that the environment is the number one problem in the fight to attract and retain teachers: discipline problems within the classroom.

“When we search the web and Google ‘student-on-teacher assaults,’ we will see numerous assaults across the country and this is driving teachers out of the classroom,” Verdaillia said.

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Rockdale County Public Schools teacher Tiwana Turner is assaulted by an unidentified student after attempting to correct the student in the classroom.
(Video Screenshot/WAGA)

While speaking to Fox 5, Verdaillia said she believes the student and parent should be held accountable, describing what teachers have to deal with on a daily basis as a “state of emergency.”

“Right now, we need zero tolerance,” he added.

In a statement to Fox 5, Rockdale County Public Schools said:

“RCPS does not tolerate student violence towards any staff member. Students who harm other students or staff will be disciplined in accordance with our Student Discipline Code of Conduct and will be appropriately charged by law enforcement.”