A Louisiana high school student who brutally attacked a 64-year-old disabled teacher in a wheelchair has pleaded not guilty. Larrianna Jackson, an 18-year-old high school student, wanted to go viral on TikTok so she decided to bunch the Covington High School teacher on camera, approaching her while she was sitting and knocking her to the ground, Fox News reports.
Office of District Attorney Warren Montgomery
- Jackson is facing serious charges. After police investigated the incident, Jackson was charged with felony second-degree battery and cruelty to the infirmed, District Attorney Warren Montgomery announced in a news release. She had initially only been charged with felony battery of a school teacher when she was arrested but once the extent of her cruelty was exposed, those charges were revised.
- The whole thing was caught on video. Given that Jackson was recording the attack to upload to social media, the evidence was right there in black and white. The video shows Jackson approaching the teacher, punching her, and knocking her to the ground. She then continues to punch the teacher before the video ends. The teacher had to be hospitalized and treated for her injuries.
- The incident was believed to be part of the “slap a teacher” challenge. This disgusting challenge is part of a terrible TikTok trend called “devious licks,” though TikTok claims the trend doesn’t exist and that any such content uploaded to its app would immediately be removed. The California Teachers Association and the Connecticut attorney general have both publicly condemned the challenge.
- Jackson’s first court appearance was on December 8. There, she pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the charges against her. If this seems an extreme cop-out, it should be noted that she faces 10 years in prison if convicted. Given that the entire incident was captured on video, it’s unclear whether a judge will accept any such plea. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for March 14, 2022.
