PROGRESS VILLAGE, Fla. — A Progress Village Middle School teacher and assistant principal were arrested in connection with a child abuse investigation after Hillsborough County detectives discovered a video appearing to show a teacher putting a student in a chokehold.
Progress Village Middle School teacher Bennie Leverett and Assistant Principal Tashiska Fabian were arrested separately and are both facing child abuse charges, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
The video, which was taken by a student on Jan. 18, allegedly shows Leverett put a student in a chokehold, "restricting the student's ability to breathe" before eventually releasing him, according to deputies.
It's unknown at this time what led up to the confrontation. Detectives reportedly learned the assistant principal told the student who shot the video to delete it, but it was later recovered by the sheriff's office.
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While Fabian met with the teacher and the student he allegedly assaulted, she did not report the incident to the child abuse hotline or law enforcement, according to the sheriff's office.
The following month, Hillsborough County deputies arrived at the school with the Department of Children and Families, the sheriff's office said. After an investigation, Leverett was arrested in on March 14.
Months later, detectives determined Fabian failed to report the incident and issued a warrant for her arrest, which took place Sept. 4.
In the release, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister called Leverett's actions "deeply troubling" and that Fabian "failed to do the right thing" by not reporting the incident.
"This is a complete betrayal of trust within our community," Chronister stated. "I'm proud of the witness who stepped up and did the right thing by reporting the incident, ensuring law enforcement could step in and bring justice for the victim."
Tanya Arja, the chief of communications for Hillsborough County Schools, told 10 Tampa Bay that upon learning about the allegation against the teacher in February, he was "pulled from duty" prior to his arrest. She said that all families were then notified of the arrest.
"The teacher never returned to school, and he resigned from the district in March," Arja said.
She added that Fabian was also removed from duty in February and "was never allowed to return to the school and was let go."
The investigation is ongoing, according to the sheriff's office.