Charges dropped against APS teacher accused of attacking student

UPDATE 10/11/23: According to the Fulton County Superior Court filing, while there was probable cause for arrest the district attorney declined to prosecute this case, citing "prosecutorial discretion" as the reason.

ORIGINAL STORY

A Bunche Middle School Teacher is in jail and his student was hauled off to the hospital after an altercation Monday in the classroom.

The seventh-grader admits he was wrong for knocking several cartons of juice off his desk, but he said what his math teacher, Brodrick Halls, allegedly did really crossed the line.

The student said Halls lifted him up by his shirt, held him in the air, and removed him from the classroom in front of the students. Then he said the teacher took him to a hall monitor's office, where the 13-year-old said things got uglier.

"I thought he was just fixing to talk to me, but he put me up to the little pole, he made me hit my head, he slammed me to the ground, then put his hand around my neck," the 13-year-old recalled.

The student said the alleged attack was so disturbing he started crying, then later on in the day, his head started hurting.

"I kept telling them my head was hurting, so they called the ambulance. Then when the ambulance got there, I threw up, then I got in the ambulance and went to the hospital," the students reflected.

Medics took The seventh grader to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. Atlanta Public Schools Police investigated and obtained two warrants against Halls on charges of cruelty to children and battery.

The seventh-grader showed FOX 5 News the marks on his neck and head that are still visible two days later. He’s still upset.

"I just feel he should have never put his hands on me," the seventh-grader said.

Halls turned himself in at the Fulton County Jail Tuesday.

Atlanta Public Schools released a statement through spokesperson Ian Smith which reads:

"Atlanta Public Schools (APS) is investigating an altercation that occurred Monday at Ralph Bunche Middle School between a teacher and a student who was being disruptive in class and refused to leave. During the altercation, the student sustained injuries, was taken to the hospital, treated and released. The Atlanta Public Schools Police Department filed charges against the teacher and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The teacher turned himself in Tuesday afternoon and was taken to the Fulton County Jail. Additionally, the teacher has been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of a review by the APS Office of Employee Relations. The safety and well-being of our students will always be our top priority, and APS remains committed to ensuring that all of our schools are safe places for our students to learn and grow."

Halls remained in the Fulton County Jail as of Wednesday evening on a $35,000 bond. His next hearing is scheduled for May 1 at 9:30 a.m.