Parent accused of barging into North Carolina high school, assaulting student in hallway
Authorities have arrested a parent accused of barging into a high school in North Carolina and attacking a student.
The incident occurred Monday morning as the parent, who was not identified, was "directed to report to the office" when they entered the Fike High in Wilson, North Carolina, Principal Ross Renfrow, said in a statement sent to families viewed by USA TODAY.
However, the parent "did not report to the office and instead assaulted a student in the hallway based on a situation that happened outside of school." The reason behind the attack was not immediately known.
Renfrow said he and other staff members intervened immediately, "diffused the situation, and escorted the parent out of the building."
Video footage of the incident shared by local news outlet WRAL News shows the parent grabbing a boy by the shirt and dragging him before forcefully pushing him toward a staircase. As the suspect is pulled away, the boy, who is reported to be 17 years old, appears to experience a seizure before slowly getting up and walking away.
Parent banned from campus
Renfrow said the school is "working in collaboration with the sheriff’s office and charges have been filed," adding the parent will no longer be allowed on campus.
While the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for an update on the incident, local news outlets WNCN and The Wilson Times reported the parent, identified as Quinton Earl Lofton, was charged with felony assault by strangulation and disorderly conduct for entering the school Monday morning and assaulting a "student over an isolated incident that had occurred outside of school.” The accused was also placed in the Wilson County Detention Center under a $7,500 secured bond, as per The Wilson Times, but bonded out within a couple of hours.
Information regarding Lofton's attorney was not immediately available.
“The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. Please use this situation as a reminder that we will not tolerate violence or threats against our students or staff,” Renfrow said.
The student's sister, meanwhile, told WRAL her brother was "pretty traumatized" by the incident.
"He's very shaken up by the whole event that took place this morning,“ she said. “He's pushing through. He's trying to, you know, remain positive through the whole situation.”
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Parent accused of attacking student in hallway of Fike High School in NC
