Deputy Fields is no stranger to complaints about his actions and tactics as a school resource officer. However, since this matter is presently under investigation with federal authorities, he is respectfully declining to make a statement at this time. But the fallout from his tossing a student across a classroom may be far from over.
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“My decision was based on what he did as a deputy sheriff”.
At least three videos have surfaced of the violent arrest at Spring Valley High School.
The American Civil Liberties Union also condemns the actions shown in the video.
“When the officer puts his hands on her initially, she reaches up and she pops the officer with her fist.”
Like many of you I went into education because I wanted to have a positive impact on the next generation of leaders.
“There’s no justification for a few of his actions”.
Video captured Fields violently removing the girl from her desk. The desk, which is attached to her chair, tips over; the student crashes backward onto the floor.
Her team and several community groups received a $2.6 million federal grant Wednesday to study interventions at several New Orleans charter schools.
A spokesman for the sheriff’s office declined to comment on the report but confirmed the deputy’s future on the force will be discussed.
The sheriff said the girl wasn’t injured, but the confrontation prompted outrage after it was recorded and shared online.
Lott said he shared concerns about whether Fields should have been called in the first place. Rutherford also said the girl suffered a rug burn on her forehead. But staff also said she was hitting at Fields. She faces a charge of disturbing school.
Lott said Fields, who is white, was sacked because he violated department policy in his actions, and that while the unidentified student, who is black, should take a few responsibility, her actions did not justify being thrown to the ground by Fields.
That’s when Fields was called in, Kenny said. An administrator was called to the room, but the girl refused to leave when asked.
“He’s sorry that this whole thing occurred, it was not his intention”, Lott said.
One question a lot of people who’ve seen the video have is, what should the deputy have done, once the student refused to leave her seat?
Kenny said she and other classmates had their cell phones recording because of the officer’s reputation. “I was like ‘no way, no way.’ You can’t do nothing like that to a little girl”.
Fields has been fired and banned from school district property as a result of the incident.
The FBI and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division have begun a civil rights investigation into the incident, per Lott’s request. He has served in various capacities, including criminal investigator, narcotics agent and administrative captain, and in 1993 became Chief of Police of St. Matthews, South Carolina. “That is an abomination that we need to look at in South Carolina”.
“I’m the one who had problems with it”, the sheriff said. “Their education was put on hold by a disruptive student”, Lot said.
Richland School District Two Superintendent Dr. Debbie Hamm applauded Lott and the sheriff’s department for the quick response. “This is not a cop’s job”.
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“We know important work is ahead of us as we thoughtfully and carefully review the decision-making process that may lead to a school resource officer taking the lead in handling a student disruption”.
