A 43-year-old father, Quinton Earl Lofton, entered Fike High School in North Carolina and allegedly attacked a 17-year-old student on Monday, December 16. Footage shows Lofton grabbing the student by the neck and pushing him down some stairs. Then, the student has what appears to be a seizure as a result. Lofton has since been arrested and charged with felony assault by strangulation.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Following the incident, Fike High School Principal Dr. Ross Renfrow sent a message to the high school families. "I wanted to make families aware of an incident that happened on our campus this morning," Renfrow said. "A parent entered our building and was directed to report to the office. The parent did not report to the office and instead assaulted a student in the hallway based on a situation that happened outside of school."
"Myself and other staff members responded immediately, defused the situation and escorted the parent out of the building," Renfrow continued. In the footage, Renfrow is shown defending the 17-year-old student, telling Lofton to "back up" and saying "don't touch him," according to the Daily Mail.
Renfrow stated that the school is collaborating with the Wilson County Sheriff's Office. Since then, charges have been filed against Lofton.
A Traumatized Student
The teen's family spoke with WRAL. They questioned how the incident was possible as no one prevented Lofton from entering the school. They also issued an update on the teen's status. "He's pretty traumatized right now. He's very shaken up by the whole event that took place this morning," the teen's sister, Shaniqua, said. However, according to her, the teenager is "pushing through." "He's trying to, you know, remain positive through the whole situation," Shaniqua said.
Meanwhile, the Wilson County Sheriff's Office also addressed the incident. "We have reviewed the video, and Quinton Lofton has been charged with felony assault by strangulation and disorderly conduct," Wilson County Sheriff's Office Chief of Staff Wanda Samuel said. "It was reported that Lofton entered the school, bypassed the front office, and assaulted a student over an isolated incident that occurred outside of school."
Records show that Quinton Earl Lofton is currently facing unrelated charges of felony child abuse and sexual acts. He also faces charges of indecent liberties with a child, statutory sex offense with a child, and sexual activity by a substitute parent, according to the Daily Mail.
