Parents Respond to Son's Confrontation with Campus Supervisor
LITHONIA, Ga. - A parent at Martin Luther King Jr. High School contacted FOX 5 News about a violent exchange Tuesday between a student and a campus supervisor. We found the physical confrontation on Instagram.
DeKalb County School officials said the 15-year-old was just back from a suspension for using profanity against the same campus supervisor. According to DeKalb County Schools Public Safety Director Donald Smith, the student invited the supervisor to fight.
"The young man approached the campus supervisor, removed his jacket, took a defensive stance, got into his face and then actually poked him in the stomach," said Smith.
Smith said the supervisor only restrained the 10th grader and never really threw a punch at the student. The director said unlike the Instagram post, a school surveillance camera captured the entire incident. The director said a preliminary investigation reveals the supervisor followed proper procedures.
"Apparently the campus supervisor tried to actually restrain him and he began to chase him around and I know he did use his in house radio to call for help," the director said.
Campus Supervisor Roderick Wilkerson suffered a knee injury and was transported to the hospital. School police arrested the student on a battery charge. He was taken to the Youth Detention Center, but officials are still investigating the incident.
Parents React to Son’s Confrontation with School Official
Shannon and Ceyaundra Vinson said it is hard to look at the Instagram video of their son and a campus supervisor in a fist fight at DeKalb County's Martin Luther King High School Tuesday. Both parents said their son was wrong, but they still believe campus supervisor Roderick Wilkerson had it out for the 15-year-old boy.
"He didn't know how to react at the time. I hate that he did that and I am not going to uphold him in anything he does wrong. I sat there and explained to him, well son you shouldn't have taken the first punch. You could have waited until I got there and said this is what is going on," said Shannon Vinson.
"We raise them to be respectful. Let them know education comes first," the 15-year-old’s mother Ceyaundra Vinson said.
The Vinsons said their son made a bad decision and should respect authority, but they also say there is a backstory that hasn't been told. Their son was suspended for using profanity against campus supervisor Wilkerson after the 15-year-old was investigated during a cellphone theft. The cellphone was later found. The parents of ten said their son, who loves music, was disciplined for disrespecting the school official.
"He couldn't go in the studio. He got punished. We took his TV and his game system. He couldn't do anything. I am going to chastise him and keep him from being out in these streets. I am not going to let it happen," Mr. Vinson explained.
The Vinson's said they will hire an attorney to fight the battery charge, but one thing is definite.
"This is his first time being arrested? Right... And it is going to be his last," the parents said in unison.
The DeKalb County School District said it is still investigating.
Click on the video below to hear what his parents had to say