Gadsden County Schools investigates videotaped scuffle between principal and student

QUINCY, Fla. (WCTV) – The principal at Carter Parramore Academy in Gadsden County has been reassigned as the district investigates an incident caught on video where Dr. Willie Jackson is seen pulling a student from a table onto the floor and holding him down with his knee.

Members of the school community have been raising concerns as a video from the May 2 scuffle circulates on Facebook.

The Gadsden County School district is in the process of investigating the incident, according to Dr. Sylvia Jackson, the assistant superintendent for support services. She says the district safety coordinator is leading the investigation, which also involves the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Quincy Police Department. Administrators say they are not providing any details as the investigation is ongoing.

“The superintendent wants to make sure we have all the facts,” said Dr. Jackson. Superintendent Elijah Key will then make a decision based on those findings, according to Assistant Superintendent Jackson.

Principal Willie Jackson has been reassigned to the district office during the investigation, according to the assistant superintendent.

The video begins as the student is lying on the table in the cafeteria, with the principal grabbing at him, trying to restrain him by keeping his hands behind his back.

The student resists, sits up on the table facing away, and tries to pull away. That’s when the principal pulls the student by his arms, and the boy falls from the table onto the chair and then the floor. The principal then puts his knee on the student’s torso to hold him down on the floor, before the video ends.

It’s not clear why the principal was trying to restrain the student or what transpired prior to, or after, the video clip.