A student at Johnson High School has been arrested following an assault on school grounds that seriously injured a fellow student.
Joshua Lionel Jackson, 17, of Flowery Branch, has been charged with felony aggravated battery in the incident, which occurred during a class transition at the school just after 1:30 p.m. Friday, April 22.
The victim in the case is a 15-year-old male student.
Investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office determined Jackson picked up the victim from behind and slammed him to the concrete floor of the classroom. The victim’s head hit the floor, rendering him unconscious and causing a seizure. The arrest warrant said Jackson continued the assault by punching the unconscious teen. The victim was hospitalized as a result of his injuries.
Jackson also faces a charge of misdemeanor simple battery for slapping the same victim about a half-hour before the classroom assault took place.
The Hall County School System issued a statement Wednesday saying, “The assault occurred during a class transition on Friday, April 22, but school officials were not made aware of the incident until the following Saturday.”
“Jackson was disciplined on Monday and the matter was immediately turned over to law enforcement,” says Hall County School Superintendent Will Schofield. “This type of behavior is a direct violation of the Hall County School District’s student code of conduct. Students who engage in this type of behavior are disciplined accordingly.”
Jackson was arrested Monday, April 25 and is being held at the Hall County Jail.
