Student's in a classroom in Texas have used their cellphones to capture the moment a female substitute teacher allegedly attacked a 15-year-old student, Yahoo News has reported.
Footage of the incident, which occurred on Friday at Lehman High School in Kyle, has since been circulated on social media, and shows 32-year-old teacher Tiffani Shadell Lankford aggressively attacking a student. Reports allege that Lankford punched and stomped on the student during class.
The Hays County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that Lankford is now facing a felony charge of aggravated assault, and the Hays Consolidated Independent School District immediately fired the teacher following the incident.
A news report on the incident can be found below. Some viewers may find the footage upsetting:Tim Savoy, a district spokesman, told CNN in a statement: "It is unconscionable what this adult did to one of our students. There is absolutely no excuse or circumstance that can justify what you see unfold on the video."
Lankford had been working for the district since early this year.
One cellphone video of the assault, which took place during a Spanish class shows Lankford, as identified by authorities, repeatedly punching the 15-year-old student in the face before throwing her to the floor. She then stomps on the teen's head.
The victim's family said the teenager has special needs and suffers from seizures. The family’s attorney told KVUE-TV that she was treated for serious injuries following the attack.
It is still unclear what prompted the assault.
Per USA Today, other students in the class immediately alerted the school's faculty to the attack. Lankford was removed from the classroom, and later questioned by school officials.
Related - Teacher loses his cool during prank:Principal Karen Zuniga was forced to email parents of students about the incident, saying:
"This afternoon, we fired one of our guest teachers for hitting and fighting with a student. Under no circumstance is that behavior tolerated at Lehman High School or in Hays CISD. We take the safety and security of our students seriously. We took swift action when this incident occurred and will do everything necessary to protect our students."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has also commented on the disturbing assault. Per USA Today, Abbott said in a statement:
"Conduct like this won’t be tolerated in Texas classrooms. The substitute teacher who committed this heinous act has been arrested and will face serious legal consequences."