A teenager who was filmed brutally attacking a teacher is now suing his school district.
Joan Naydich, a teacher at Matanzas High School in Florida, was reportedly beaten until she was unconscious by a 17-year-old student from whom she had confiscated a Nintendo Switch during school hours.
Standing at a whopping six foot six, Brendan Depa got wildly aggressive with the teacher as seen in surveillance footage that went viral after it was posted to social media back in February 2023.
Depa, who is now 18, is facing a prison sentence of up to 30 years after he was arrested and charged as an adult with aggravated battery on a school employee, which counts as a first-degree felony.
But on April 24, the Daily Mail reported that the teen filed a request for due process hearing under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
In the documents, which were seen by the outlet, the 18-year-old's attorneys have argued that the establishment's employees were aware of his "disabilities, triggers and problem behaviors," which also included spitting, shouting, and shoving staff members.
"It should be noted that the school and staff working with him and the district knew that the electronics, specifically the Nintendo and its use on a school campus was a trigger for escalating behaviors," the filing reads, before also adding that the attack on Naydich, 59, was the result of a "failure to address his needs or have staff around him with the proper training."
"This incident started with a paraprofessional and the student exchanging words and the student being reprimanded in front of his peers," the document reads. "He was punished by being denied his electronic device, even though other students were allowed theirs. The paraprofessional and the teacher began discussing his ability to bring electronics to school, in front of him and in front of his classmates."
Details of the lead-up to the attack describe Depa as "upset" before he allegedly spat at the mother-of-two who "got mad and accused him of assaulting her and stormed out of the classroom presumably to report him for assault."
The teen followed her out into the hallway where the attack was recorded on surveillance.
The harrowing footage showed the student bulldozing the teacher, flinging her to the other side of the room before landing multiple punches and kicks from behind as she lay there unconscious.
You can see other people run over to separate Depa from Naydich, and even as they were dragging him away, he continued to throw a few final kicks before he was restrained and held against the floor until the police arrived.
The 59-year-old suffered multiple injuries at the hands of the brutal attack including several broken ribs, a severe concussion, and hearing loss. Not only that but half of her face was left bruised and scarred after repeated contact with the carpet.
Naydich was initially put on unpaid leave after sustaining the horrific injuries and a GoFundMe page was set up in order to help her continue with her life.
So far, $138,537 has been raised, with many wishing the teacher's aide a speedy recovery in the comment section.
In an update, a spokesperson confirmed that she was back to working for the district, though not at Matanzas High School.
According to the Daily Mail, Naydich allegedly claimed she returned after receiving an "ultimatum" from the board ordering she do so or resign.
