In early June, a student with special needs walked up to a principal in a Fresno, Calif., school cafeteria and pointed his finger at the adult. Seconds later, the principal pushed the 10-year-old boy to the ground in front of school staff and other students, an inaudible 30-second clip shows.
Authorities have since charged Brian Vollhardt, the then Wolters Elementary School principal, with child abuse and endangerment in connection with the incident involving the minor, who was not publicly identified, court records show.
The misdemeanor charge comes after the Fresno Unified School District released a copy of the June 7 video on Thursday. District officials said Vollhardt and staff members “were working with an upset student” at the school cafeteria that June morning. It is unclear what happened before the video begins.