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Updated – April 19, 2024

In early April, a student attacked a teacher several times during a class at Parkland High School. The attacks were caught on video by a bystanding student. 

On April 15, The North Carolina Beat posted a video of the incident on X, showing a male student aggressively slapping the teacher twice. The video shows the student slapping the teacher within seconds after being played. (Disclaimer: the video contains violence and explicit language.)  

According to the New York Post, the teacher responded to the first assault with the following question:

“Do you think that affected me anyway?

Hereafter the two engaged in a brief argument: 

“Stop f***ing playing with me b**** a** n****! Want me to hit you again?, want me to hit you again?”

“I don’t want it,” the teacher responded bluntly.

After this exchange, the student slapped the teacher again and made the following exclamations:

“Stop f***ing playing with me. I told your dumb*** I’d knock the [inaudible] off your face.”

With the same blunt manner, the teacher responded, “And do I look like I care?”

The student continued to rant and call the teacher profanities as he went back to his desk, telling her to go back to teaching. The video ends at this point.

According to WXII 12, in a phone call, Principal Noel Keneer made the following statement to the school community in light of the assault:

“Hello Parkland Families, this is Noel Keener, Principal at Parkland High School. I am calling to let you know that earlier today our administration was made aware of a disturbing video of an inappropriate and unsettling interaction between a student and a teacher being circulated on social media. Our administration has started an investigation immediately in conjunction with our law enforcement partners at the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. The student involved in the video will face disciplinary action in accordance with district policies and procedures. The student may also face criminal charges.”

The New York Post reported that “Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neil said within the hour it was posted, he was investigating the now-viral video for any criminal behavior.”

Published – October 4, 2021

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools serves more than 52,000 students in a total of 78 schools.

At a board meeting on July, 28, 2021, board members voted to require masks for staff and students regardless of vaccination status starting August 12, 2021. The mask requirements will be reviewed at the end of the first nine weeks of the school year, when the board will vote to reconsider a mask mandate or extend the requirement. Historically, mask mandates have continued to be extended.

During the 2021-2022 school year, the district had issues more than four different times with students bringing guns to school. The district confirmed they are tightening up security and creating school assessment teams for area schools with higher rates of violence.