A Georgia high school student has been charged after being caught on camera stealing a Pride flag from another student, knocking them over, and dumping the flag in a garbage can.
The attacker, whose name has not been released, is facing charges of disorderly conduct, simple battery, and disruption of a public facility after the incident at Lowndes High School, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk told the Valdosta Daily Times.
The clip is embedded below; viewer discretion is advised:
Paulk said the Department of Juvenile Justice was called in for the case, and LHS assistant principal Rodney Green confirmed the video was also being investigated by school officials.
The video, which started making the rounds online Thursday, appears to show a student wearing a black shirt walking toward another student sitting at a table with friends. The student in the black shirt attempts to grab the flag from the student, knocking them on the ground, and dragging them as they hold onto the flag. At the end of the clip, the student in the black shirt throws the Pride flag in a trash can.
“Need everyone to see the scum thats here in South Ga,” wrote Twitter user jrcamachobass, who posted the clip. “This just happened today at Lowndes High School, the high school I went to and my brother is currently going to, here in Valdosta.”
Green shared in a statement that the school takes the “well-being and safety of our students seriously.”
“Our staff works hard to provide a safe environment where all of our students feel valued,” Green wrote. “As soon as the Lowndes High School administration was aware, the matter was investigated, they ensured that the victim was not hurt and addressed the other student following the appropriate consequence outlined in the Student Code of Conduct.”
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