A high school student and her mother are facing charges after they allegedly assaulted employees of the institution.
Danazia Whitfield, an 18-year-old deaf girl, attends DuPont Manual High School in Louisville, Kentucky. On April 26, she was sent to the assistant principal’s office due to a dispute she had with a teacher and another student.
Whitfield placed her backpack in a spot that was obstructive while she sat outside of the office and a school security monitor picked it up and moved it to a less intrusive place.
Whitfield then allegedly approached the security monitor and slammed her forehead into his using force. With the help of the video chat application Facetime she placed a call to her mother, and after delivering a message in sign language she turned the camera toward the monitor showing him to her mom.
When Whitfield’s mother, 37-year-old Kristie Bell, arrived at the high school with her younger son her daughter and the security monitor were in the principal’s office. She entered the room and after learning that the monitor was present she allegedly ordered her son to assault him.
Bell and her son began hitting the monitor, and a teacher and the assistant principal tried to intervene and were also assaulted in the scuffle.
Bell, Whitfield, and the boy departed from the school grounds when they overheard someone talking about notifying the authorities.
When police arrived at the scene they found that the security monitor had suffered injuries consisting of a large bump on his forehead, a laceration reportedly caused during the fight that the victim said was the result of Bell biting him, and bruises on his body that he stated were the result of the young boy assaulting him with a lacrosse stick. He was taken to the hospital and treated for his injuries.
Bell is facing charges of four counts of third-degree assault of a school employee or school volunteer, four counts of abuse of a teacher, one count of third-degree criminal mischief, one count of second-degree disorderly conduct, and a charge of unlawful transaction with a minor.
On May 10, Whitfield was also taken into custody and charged with four counts of third-degree assault of a school employee or school volunteer, four counts of abuse of a teacher, one count of third-degree criminal mischief, and one count of second-degree disorderly conduct.
If you or someone you love is suspected of assault, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.