Video Shows Black Female Student Being Punched By White Vice Principal During Altercation On School Bus

Age-restricted YouTube video footage shows another student attempting to intervene when he saw the female student was hit.

The fight broke out as buses loaded at the high school on Wednesday. The assistant principal was struck in the back of the head six to 10 times by one of the students involved in the fight, according to Nichols, who spoke at a press conference Thursday morning. The school system is choosing not to release the assistant principal’s name.

In addition, the student bit the assistant principal on the arm, breaking the skin through his long sleeve shirt and leaving a bloody wound, according to Nichols. 

Hearing now from Madison City Schools superintendent, Dr. Ed Nichols on what transpired on a James Clemons HS school bus. “This administrator was assaulted.” He’s referring to the James Clemons Assistant Principal who is getting backlash online for how he handled an altercation. pic.twitter.com/jD1edVdYvh

— OliviaWAAY31 (@OliviaWAAY31) December 15, 2022

Students recorded the incident and shared it online, showing the assistant principal striking the student. The assistant principal, according to Nichols, thought he was in danger, and Nichols explained the school would not punish the administrator involved in the incident.

“While we hate the altercation happened, we don’t ever want altercations between students. We also know that there comes a point in time — we’ll provide you with pictures of the injury this administrator received — that they have to have an opportunity to defend themselves from further harm,” Nichols said in the press statement.

“The assistant principal felt the need to protect himself, and he did so,” he added.

According to Nichols, the students have been suspended, and Madison police have been called to investigate the incident. Nichols also said Limestone County Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin would be informed later on Thursday. State law mandates that the sheriff be notified whenever a school employee is assaulted.

Nichols shared that the incident was only briefly captured on camera from a three-minute event, and the videos circulating online do not accurately portray what took place.

He suggested that school officials tried their best to break up the altercation and had a right to defend themselves.

“[School officials] did everything they could to de-escalate,” Nichols noted. “I don’t want our employees to feel like they can’t protect themselves. They had no choice [but to step in to break up the fight]. They could not stand on the sidelines.”

Nichols said school officials had reviewed the school bus footage but did not make the video available.

“Looking at the bus video, they followed through trying to diffuse (the situation),” Nichols said. “In fact, at one point, the administrator tried to separate the two students, had their backs completely to one of the students to keep them separated.”

“That’s when they were getting hit across the back of their head six to 10 times. They turned around, trying to keep that person at bay with their arms (crossed in a defensive position), at which time they were attacked twice on their arm,” he continued.

“While that was happening, another student behind him was hitting him and punching him in the back. So yes, they tried steps to do the diffusion and to try to separate the students throughout the process,” he continued.

Nichols replied, “No,” when AL.com asked him if any staff members would face punishment.

Nichols believes that the job of the school administration is challenging, and people are currently debating whether to work as bus drivers or teachers. Additionally, he said he would never advise someone being assaulted if they cannot protect themselves from further harm in his capacity as superintendent.

He also feels that people will be able to tell there was physical harm when they see the images (of the bite marks). 

“And so we don’t have any plans at this time to have any administrative action on them. We regret the incident happened. They regret the incident happened. But at the same time, they also did everything prior to what’s out there on social media to prevent any further escalation while they were taking bodily blows to their head and back and physical harm,” Nichols said regarding the outcome.