COLUMBIA, S.C. — A deputy who flipped a disruptive student out of her desk and tossed her across her math class floor was fired Wednesday.
The sheriff called his actions unacceptable and said videos recorded by her classmates show the girl posed no danger to anyone.
“What he should not have done is throw the student,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said. “Police officers make mistakes too. They’re human, and they need to be held accountable. And that’s what we’ve done with Deputy Ben Fields.”
Civil rights groups praised the swift action against Fields, a veteran school resource officer and football coach at Spring Valley High School. Outrage spread quickly after videos of the white officer arresting the black teenager Monday appeared on the Internet.
Lott thanked the FBI for investigating whether civil rights were violated and school officials for promising to review how police are used for discipline.
The sheriff also had stern words for the student who started the confrontation by refusing to hand over her cellphone after her math teacher saw her texting in class — a violation of school policy. She and another student who verbally challenged the officer’s actions during the arrest still face misdemeanor charges of disturbing school.
The Associated Press
