12-Year-Old Fractures Skull After Florida School Employee Body Slams Him

Jarvis Delon West, 28

A 12-year-old boy from St. Petersburg, Florida, was seriously injured after a school employee body-slammed him to the ground for cutting the lunch line. Authorities said that the student, who was not identified, was brought to a "Room of Opportunity" at AMIkids, a private non-profit school for at-risk kids, where an employee picked up the 100-pound child and slammed him into the ground.

"A behavioral interventionist (BI) redirected the student to the 'Room of Opportunity' where a physical altercation transpired," the Pinellas Park Police said in a statement. "As a result of the altercation, the victim started to vomit, and it is believed that he lost consciousness on more than one occasion."

A supervisor at the school did not call for help, instead offering the young boy a bucket. The boy spent the rest of the day in school, being carried from classroom to classroom "Weekend at Bernie's-style."

When it was time for the student to go home, the supervisor, identified as Jarvis Delon West, 28, boarded the bus and accompanied him to his house. School officials did not tell the boy's mother what transpired, and she kept him home from school the next day, thinking he had the flu. The following day, she took him to the hospital, where doctors discovered the extent of his injuries. He suffered a skull fracture, two subdural hematomas, and a brain bleed.

She contacted the police and West was taken into custody and is facing charges of failure to report child neglect and neglect of a child resulting in great bodily harm. The arrest warrant for West listed Dontae Antonio Thomas, 34, as a co-defendant. Police did not say if he was responsible for slamming the young boy and said they are still investigating the incident.

The school said that West and others named in the police report have been suspended.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the young man and his family during his time of recovery," AMIkids Pinellas said in a statement. "When we were notified by the authorities as to the extent of this incident, we took immediate disciplinary action. AMIkids Pinellas does not tolerate any behaviors that could cause harm to our students, as our top priority is the safety of our kids, our team, and this community. In addition to fully cooperating with the authorities, we are also conducting an internal investigation of this matter."

Photo: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office


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