Police arrested an 18-year-old student who attends South High School in Willoughby for allegedly attacking a staff member on Monday.
According to the Willoughby Police Department, the student has been charged with aggravated disorderly conduct, a fourth-degree misdemeanor and felonious assault, a second-degree felony.
Police said the Willoughby Fire Department responded to the school Monday for a 69-year-old staff member who was bleeding from the head. They learned that the staffer, a hall monitor, was pushed by a student at the entrance to the boy's restroom.
According to police, the school's resource officer viewed footage of the incident which identified the student.
The student "was one of several students being detained in the restroom for possibly being involved in smoking and or vaping. He violently pushed the hall monitor backwards so that he could leave the restroom," police said.
The hall monitor sustained a concussion and a laceration to his head in the assault, police said. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Police later located the student in the cafeteria and he was taken into custody without incident.
The Willoughby-Eastlake School district released the following statement Wednesday regarding the matter:
“The safety of students and staff members is of utmost priority to Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools. When students violate the District's code of conduct, they are held accountable. Please be assured that Willoughby-Eastlake will follow the appropriate Board Policies and Administrative Guidelines when assigning consequences for the offense that recently occurred at South High School. Additionally, we will cooperate with the Willoughby Police Department to ensure that they are able to conduct a thorough investigation and take the legal action they determine to be necessary.”
The student has a preliminary hearing in Willoughby Municipal Court scheduled for March 30.
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