Maybe we should have let South Carolina secede for good back in the 1800s after all.
A South Carolina sheriff’s deputy has come under fire after a video was posted online Monday that showed him violently throwing a high school student from her desk in a classroom at Spring Valley High School. The Richland County School District 2 and the sheriff’s office are currently investigating the incident.
I’m sorry, but what is there to investigate? There is recorded proof that this pathetic excuse for a human being threw a high school girl to the floor. This guy should be forced to hand in his badge and thrown in jail. No question.
Parents from a group called the Richland 2 Black Parents Association called the video “egregious” and “unacceptable.” The group continued, stating:
“Parents are heartbroken as this is just another example of the intolerance that continues to be of issue in Richland School District Two particularly with families and children of color. As we have stated in the past, we stand ready to work in collaboration to address these horrible acts of violence and inequities among our children.”
The girl in the video was arrested, according to the sheriff’s office. Another student was also arrested in connection with the incident. The girl has since been released back to her parents while the male still remains in custody. Both students were either seniors or juniors.
Here’s what you need to know about the video and Deputy Ben Fields.
1. The Video Shows Fields Turning Over the Girl’s Desk While She’s Sitting In It.
If we’re being totally honest, I watched the video and felt nauseated by the brutish nature of Ben Fields. During the incident, Fields says to the girl, “Are you going to come with me or am I going to make you? Come on. I’m going to get you up.”
Fields pulls on her arm, moves the desk and then grabs hold of her shoulder and neck area. He turns over the desk, throwing both the desk and the student to the ground. He then drags her to the door, pulling the desk along with her and then throws her out of the desk, jumping on top of her to handcuff her.
Students tweeted eyewitness accounts of the video, stating that the girl was “quietly at her desk.” She did not provoke the deputy before the video started.
In response to the brutality, the hashtag, #AssaultAtSpringValleyHigh began to trend worldwide on Twitter and Facebook.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN966KxyoIU&w=640&h=360]
2. He Is Accused of “Recklessly” Targeting “African American Students With Allegations of Gang Membership.”
Ben Fields is currently facing a lawsuit in federal court that accuses him of violating the civil rights of a student at Spring Valley High School. The student, Ashton James Reese, was expelled from the school for “unlawful assembly of gang activity and assault and battery” in 2013.
Fields did not respond to the fight, but led the investigation. He described it as a “huge gang fight” that was an attempt to unite the three gangs at the school.
The lawsuit claims that Fields “recklessly targets African-American students with allegations of gang membership and criminal gang activity.” The jury trial is scheduled to begin on January 27, 2016.
3. Students Say They Have Complained About Fields For Several Years.
Fields is assigned to Spring Valley High School as a school resource officer despite the numerous of complaints made against him by students. You can see some of those complaints made below.
Yes, Deputy Fields has done this numerous times. But this is the first time I’ve seen it captured on video and shared like this.
— ANM.❤️ (@FakeAsian__) October 26, 2015
All jokes aside … but Fields ain’t getting fired , he done this shit numerous times !
— Ziyonna Windsor (@ziyonna_windsor) October 26, 2015
it’s sad it wasn’t a big surprise to me bc deputy fields BEEN slamming kids since I graduated 3yrs ago just was never captured.
— Janae Ricks (@xojanae__) October 26, 2015
4. He Is Also a Strength Coach For The School’s Football Team And Is a Power Lifter.
Fields, on his now-deleted Twitter account, wrote that he is the defensive line and strength coach for the Spring Valley High School football team. Students have said that they were afraid of Fields because of his stature.
You can watch a video of him lifting below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MI7wPpbD_M
5. He Received The “Culture Of Excellence” Award Earlier Last Year For Being A “Role Model.”
Yep, you read that correctly.
Ben Fields was awarded with the Richland School District Two Culture of Excellence Award in November 2014. The sheriff states that Fields “has proven to be an exceptional role model to the students he serves and protects.”
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