**UPDATE: April 19, 2023, 7:26 pm EST**
Rocky Mount Police have confirmed that both the substitute teacher and the student will face charges for the fight inside a classroom at Rocky Mount High School on Monday.
The teacher, Xaviera Steele, was charged with simple assault. She received a written promise to appear in court and was released.
The juvenile, who is not being named due to her status as a minor, also received a simple assault charge via juvenile petition.
No injuries were reported.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A violent altercation between a student and a substitute teacher at Rocky Mount High School has gone viral, leading to an investigation by local authorities.
As reported by WRAL, Rocky Mount P.D. and Nash County Public Schools learned of the fight over the confiscation of a cell phone. It happened Monday morning (Apr. 17) at the end of 1st period and the start of Connections Intervention period.
Video of the incident shows the two arguing over the cell phone. The student, who hasn’t been identified due to her being a minor, questions the teacher about the rules.
At one point, she is seen trying to snatch the phone from the teacher’s hand as she’s making a phone call.
Get Breaking News & Exclusive Contest in Your Inbox:
The confrontation quickly turns physical, with the two swinging at each other before the teacher ends up on top of the student.
There’s no word on what happened in the moments leading up to the video.
The substitute teacher, identified by police as Xaviera Steele, has been with NCPS for about a year. As of Monday afternoon, no charges have been filed.
Stay on top of the latest news! Text FOXY to 24042 and join our text club!
NCPS policy states, “If an employee is attacked by a student, the employee has the right to reasonably restrain the student and defend themselves to the point that they are free of the threat or attack.”
As for cell phones, the policy states that “administrators may authorize individual students to use wireless communication devices for personal purposes when there is a reasonable need for such communication.”
