North Gwinnett News

Gwinnett County Schools Superintendent Calvin Watts is insisting that physical violence at the school will not be tolerated after a student was hit with criminal charges and school disciplinary action for allegedly assaulting a teacher at Discovery High. 

According to a recent report by FOX 5 Atlanta, Watts sent a message to parents and guardians of Gwinnett County students stating the incident happened Tuesday morning when at least one student intervened as the student physically assaulted his teacher between classes.

"To be clear, what happened at Discovery High yesterday is unacceptable," Watts wrote. "I want to reassure you we are taking this situation seriously. Using physical violence to attack students and/or staff will not be tolerated in Gwinnett County Public Schools. It is not only against our district disciplinary policy; it is against the law."

In a letter to parents, Discovery High School Principal Marci Sledge confirmed that the attack occurred at the school and was captured in cellphone video by another student and shows the student hitting the teacher multiple times as his classmates shouted in surprise, FOX 5 reports.

The identity of the student seen in the video striking the teacher has not been publicly released and authorities have not indicated what charges he stands to face stemming from the violent attack, though Sledge insists the school is "taking this situation very seriously."