Caught on camera: Video appears to show teacher grabbed by hair, yanked to floor while breaking up fight

The video shows a teacher and security guard try to break up a fight at Middletown High School, when someone grabbed her hair and yanked her to the floor.

Blaise Gomez and Ben Nandy

Mar 8, 2023, 4:25 PM

Updated 645 days ago

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Middletown High School students and their parents are pressing district leaders to rethink safety policies after a fight caught on video that resulted in a teacher being violently dragged down by her hair.

The video shows a teacher and security guard try to break up a fight at Middletown High School, when someone grabbed her hair and yanked her to the floor. 
Parent Jason Doolittle says he's concerned about his daughter, who is a junior, in an environment that is stressful for students. 
"They have no control, no control over anything. I'm not a happy parent. I have an appointment set up with her dean and hopefully her principal. Her principal hasn't gotten back to me yet. I'm just not happy," he says. 
The parents tell News 12 they often receive videos of fights from inside Middletown High School. 
They say they receive them from other students and other parents. They say the school district should realize why some students are nervous about going to school there every day.

Connie Quinones, whose daughter is a freshman, leads an informal parents group.  She says there has to be some kind of serious intervention anytime any student becomes violent, but she's not seeing that. 
"Whoever did this, it was violent, and this kid should never be allowed back in school. But what happens is they are letting the kids who do bad things like this back in the school," she says. 
School board member Fred Williams says he finds the video disturbing. 
He also says that he and other staff administrators are taking steps to rectify situations of this nature. He may have more to say at a later time. 
News 12 reached out to Middletown police to find out whether they are investigating and are awaiting a reply.

The district first told News 12 the teacher who was dragged down in the video was not hurt.   
When asked about the possibility she suffered a concussion, the district said it can't discuss the teacher's medical information.