DANIA BEACH, Fla. – Video captured a startling incident Wednesday at a Broward County middle school that has a mother outraged.
That woman’s 13-year-old daughter was violently pushed by a man working as part of the staff at Olsen Middle School in Dania Beach.
The young girl ended up on the floor as other people appeared to try and intervene.
Shardea Thomas is that teenage girl’s mother.
“My heart just sunk watching that, seeing because she’s defenseless,” she said.
Thomas says assistant principal Charles Zimmerman is the staff member at the Dania beach school who pushed her daughter.
This is not the first time Zimmerman has been involved in a school investigation.
Back in 2019, Zimmerman was caught on camera when he worked at Dandy Middle School in Fort Lauderdale, taking a female student to the ground where that student had to be taken to the hospital.
That school board vote and school records show, Zimmerman got a 15-day suspension for that rough contact.
This most recent incident happened on Wednesday in the cafeteria when two 13-year old girls were arguing, then the district says that’s when Zimmerman tried to calm things down the controversial contact happened.
“She’s frazzled, we’re just trying to remind her that she’s loved,” Thomas said.
That 13-year old girl had been the victim of bullying in weeks prior and last week her family filed paperwork with the Broward County School Board to formally report the harassment.
The Broward Public School District has gotten involved, and in a statement, a spokesperson told Local 10 News:
“Olsen Middle School and the District take all matters involving student safety seriously. (A staff member) is being investigated by school and District administration, as well as the District’s Special Investigative Unit, for the actions taken. The employee is being reassigned.”
Zimmerman’s reassignment is not at Olsen Middle School and does not involve direct contact with students.
The Broward Public School District says the reassignment for Zimmerman is based on a temporary assignment pending the outcome of their investigation.