Atlanta school worker on leave after video shows student being choked

Atlanta school employee accused of choking teen

A metro Atlanta mother says she’s demanding accountability after a video surfaced showing a school employee allegedly putting his hands around her 14-year-old son’s neck.

ATLANTA - A metro Atlanta mother is demanding immediate accountability after a disturbing video emerged showing a high school worker allegedly choking her teenage son during class.

What we know:

An employee at Carver Early College is under investigation after a video surfaced on social media showing him allegedly putting his hands around the neck of 14-year-old student Marquis Harris. The student said the encounter occurred two weeks ago at the campus.

The recording, which was filmed by another classmate and posted to TikTok, also appears to show the school worker grabbing Harris by his wrists. Moments later in the footage, the same worker can allegedly be heard asking another person, "Do you want me to choke you?"

The student's mother, Maceon Thomas, said she did not find out about the physical altercation until last Saturday. She started receiving phone calls from people asking if she had seen the footage circulating online.

Following the incident, Harris said he has been constantly picked on and teased by other students at school. Classmates have been walking around the building grabbing their own throats, mimicking being choked, and calling out his name.

What they're saying:

The family filed an official report with the Atlanta Public Schools Police Department and wants the worker to face criminal consequences. Harris noted that he chose not to fight back because he was taught to never put his hands on a grown-up.

"You’re in a school. You’re supposed to protect these kids, not assault them," said Maceon Thomas. "You can’t assault anyone. I can’t walk around and assault someone — I’d be in jail. So you can’t either," she said.

Harris also spoke out about the physical reality of what happened to him. "In the video, you could hear me gag," Harris said. "That means he really choked me. He didn’t just grab me — he choked me," Harris said. He added, "I’m humiliated, very humiliated."

What we don't know:

Atlanta Public Schools has not released the name or the specific job title of the employee involved. It is also unknown if the worker will face formal criminal charges as a result of the ongoing police investigation.

The other side:

School system officials responded to requests for information regarding the physical altercation by confirming that administrative action has been taken.

"The safety and wellbeing of our students is a top priority for Atlanta Public Schools. The employee in question has been placed on leave pending the outcome of investigations by the district’s Office of Employee Relations and Atlanta Public Schools Police," Atlanta Public Schools said in a statement.