On Friday, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) arrested a 16-year-old student at Matanzas High School after the teen got into a physical altercation with another student and bit a school staff member who was attempting to break up the fight.
At approximately 1 p.m., SRD Deputy Landi responded to reports of a fight between two female students in the school’s courtyard. Deputy Landi observed a school staff member holding their forearm, which had been injured. The victim stated that while trying to separate the teenagers, they placed their arm around one of the students, identified as T.J., who then bit the staff member on the forearm several times until she broke the victim’s skin, causing a minor injury.
The 16-year-old student was arrested for felony Battery on a School Official and transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility for processing before being transferred to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
“This lack of respect for teachers and staff will not be tolerated in our schools,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “School staff and teachers are here to teach you. Don’t fight in school. It takes a bigger person to walk away from a fight and de-escalate the situation than to engage in a fight or attack a faculty member. Parents, talk and teach your students how to handle disagreements and that fighting is not the solution. This will help them for a lifetime. Otherwise, if you don’t do your job as a parent, we will do our job and arrest your child, which we don’t want to do, but we will not tolerate this kind of behavior in our schools.”
Merita D says
Why are ya’ll releasing her name she’s a minor.
FlaglerLive says
That was a mistake. The name has been reduced to initials. Thank you.
TR says
IMO FL, you had it right the first time. Print the names should be what is done for people who commit crimes regardless of age. Period.
Philip says
Who cares if she’s a minor. At 16 years of age she shouldn’t act like a three year old.
Taloude D St. Julien says
You dont even know the situation what are you talking abt. No one was acting like a three year old he had his arm around my fucking neck. & i didnt even bite him on purpose i was KNOCKED into him. Know what your talking about before you start talking otherwise shut the hell up. Grown ass man talking about something you dont know about .
Philip says
You sound so sweet. Hard to believe you got into and fight and did the following: “…who then bit the staff member on the forearm SEVERAL TIMES until she broke the victim’s skin, causing a minor injury.
Yep – real sweet kid. Stay in school. Learn how to speak. Learn how to spell. Don’t fight until there is no choice.
TR says
They should always print peoples names when they commit a serious crime. These kids want to act like adults, then the media and everyone else should treat them as adults.
Endangered species says
if its before they are convicted than that is defamation. You so big into humilitating people why dont you put your full name here?
Philip says
No…The article would simply state, ” (so and so) was charged with…”
No defamation there.
Atwp says
Let me see. Take prayer out of school. Teachers can’t discipline students today. The result is school shootings, teachers getting whipped and sometimes killed. The list is much longer but it will get worse. Will not get better. There will be a mass school shooting in Florida soon. Hope I’m wrong but it is a matter of time. Too many guns on the street and not enough security.
Philip says
Prayer in school is not necessary. It is an individual choice with individual beliefs. That is not the issue. How about PARENTS teaching their children there are consequences for their actions? Now that’s a lost art. I wouldn’t allow my dog to fight and bite…much less my kids.
Fed Up says
There was already a mass shooting in Florida and the armed officer on-site did nothing to stop it. . 17 students and staff were killed!
ban the GOP says
they had doughnuts in the gym and had police respond from all around so they could get that overtime on your dime. Not profitable to save kids, kinda like identity theft or white collar crime. They would much rather go knock down a door and take someones “drug” money so they can pocket it. Why it takes 6 years to practice law but only 6 weeks to enforce it.
Philip says
Really? That’s your view of all police officers?
endless dark money says
haha prayer isnt banned from school, kids can CHOOSE to do it. Its not mandadoty indoctrination like maybe it was in your day. More accessable guns = more shootings we average over 2 mass shootings a day in USA. Were right about the 500 mark for 2023. There has been zero legislation since columbine. Good thing florida reduced the wait time for firearms and eliminated the carry permit requirement. Guns are big money and they pay politicans accordingly as not to add any regulation that would affect profits. Where you been? Profits above all here in the USA even if its your life.
this child likely needed some medical help but didnt get it as only old people get free healthcare. sounds like they should start a gofundme for legal defence as we all know poors get 10x the punishment anyways.
Christopher says
Only old get free health care? I”m old’ I don”t get free health care! Where do you live?