A Mississippi special education teacher has been fired after video of her dragging a special needs student by the hair surfaced.
The Washington Post reports that the video has been widely shared on social media. In the footage, Linda Winters-Johnson, a special education teacher at Greenville High School, can be seen pinning a female student to the ground during a PE class on Sept. 21.
When the student gets up and reaches for the gymnasium door, the teacher is seen grabbing her ponytail and dragging her away from the exit.
In another video, the student appears to take a thermos from the sitting stands and drink from it. The teacher is then seen taking it away from her and hitting her over the head with it.
In a statement on the incident, the Greenville Public School District said that the district’s board of trustees terminated Winters-Johnson on Monday.
“The board asks for the public’s patience as the investigation is conducted,” Board President, Loretta Shannon said. “We want to ensure that we have a complete picture and an unbiased assessment of what occurred before we take action. But the board is taking this matter very seriously.”
