Teacher enraged by student’s joke assaults brothers in school bathroom, SC lawsuit says
A joke made by an elementary school student triggered a violent reaction from a teacher, who’s accused of attacking the boy and his brother before continuing the assault in a bathroom, a new lawsuit says.
Patrick Williams grabbed the 9- and 6-year-old by their necks after one of them called him a name in the cafeteria of Bennettsville Primary School in Marlboro County, South Carolina, on Feb. 1, 2023, according to a complaint filed Nov. 12.
Described as 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weighing 240 pounds, Williams threw both boys into cafeteria tables, and into the air, then carried them into a bathroom as staff stood by, the complaint says.
In the bathroom, “he restrained them inside while forcibly touching and grabbing them additional times,” according to the complaint.
One of the brothers had called Williams a “tall boy” due to his height, as detailed by a witness in a police incident report, attorney Roy Willey, who represents the children’s guardian, told McClatchy News on Nov. 15.
The guardian is suing Williams and the Marlboro County School District on a few causes of action, including assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress and outrage.
The school district’s superintendent, Dr. Helena Tillar, didn’t respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment Nov. 14.
Information regarding Williams’ legal representation wasn’t immediately available.
A district spokesperson told WBTW that they are “unable to comment on personnel matters and any items that are currently in litigation.”
Arrest made
Williams was arrested on a third-degree assault charge after the incident, according to Bennettsville Police Chief Kevin Miller, WPDE-TV reported last year.
The school district told the TV station at the time that Miller was put on administrative leave and was no longer employed at the school.
“I have young children and this violent assault upon children by what should be a trusted adult is horrifying,” Willey said in a statement to McClatchy News. “I cannot imagine the pain and fear these children felt.”
According to the lawsuit, Williams acknowledged that he “forcibly grabbed” both boys, but denied putting his hands on their necks when shown video footage of the attack.
School employees are accused of doing nothing to intervene and didn’t try to protect the children.
In the incident report provided to McClatchy News by the Bennettsville Police Department, it says video evidence showed that Williams “did jerk the juvenile victims around by the arms several times prior to slamming them against the cafeteria table seating.”
The report also says Williams was seen placing “his hands around or near the juvenile victims neck area causing their heads to go back towards or onto the table top.”
Afterward, the footage showed Williams grabbing one of the boy’s arms, throwing him in the air and “slinging him under his left arm” and carrying him to the bathroom, according to the report, which didn’t mention whether Williams brought the second boy into the bathroom.
When interviewed by police, Williams said he didn’t remember putting his hands near the boys’ necks or throwing one of the children into the air and carrying him.
The current status of the criminal case against Williams is unclear.
The assault left the boys with “mental and physical injury,” the complaint says.
Williams is also accused of false imprisonment, as the complaint says the teacher restrained the boys in the bathroom.
“Defendants conduct was so extreme and outrageous so to exceed all possible bounds of decency and is regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized society,” the complaint reads.
The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount in damages to be determined by a jury at trial.
“School is a place where children should feel safe, and when that safety is taken away from them it is hard to ever get it back,” Willey told McClatchy News.
“We intend to shine a light on this important issue, which is becoming all too common across South Carolina and to hold the staff member and the school district accountable for this attack,” he said.
The boys no longer attend the school, Willey said in a news conference, WBTW reported.
Marlboro County is about a 105-mile drive northeast from Columbia.
This story was originally published November 15, 2024 at 7:59 AM with the headline "Teacher enraged by student’s joke assaults brothers in school bathroom, SC lawsuit says."
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