Teacher Throws Student After Making Mean Mom Comments

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A shocking incident at a Georgia middle school has led to a teacher’s resignation after he physically assaulted an 11-year-old student who confronted him about making inappropriate comments about the boy’s mother.

The incident, captured on video at DeRenne Middle School, shows teacher and football coach BeTreylin Elder violently lifting the student by his clothing and throwing him several feet, causing the child to collide with a desk before hitting the ground.

🚨‼️Georgia Teacher Accused of Grabbing Sixth-Grader in Classroom Incident

A sixth-grader was allegedly grabbed by a teacher inside a classroom at DeRenne Middle School in Georgia on Dec. 6, 2024. Authorities are investigating the incident.#GeorgiaNews #DeRenneMiddleSchool… pic.twitter.com/0gjPoBw9zK

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— Kristy Tallman (@KristyTallman) December 12, 2024

According to the student’s mother, Che’Nelle Russell, the confrontation began when Elder made inappropriate remarks about her, including claiming he had “left his shoes at TJ’s mom’s house.” Her son, TJ, approached the teacher to confront him about these comments.

“I was told that he had a share of words that were inappropriate to TJ and that he had made some remarks about me and my son was unhappy with it,” Russell said. “So my son then went to the front of the classroom to approach the teacher, letting him know, ‘Hey, stop talking about my mom.'”

“The teacher then came closer to my son. My son again said, ‘Stop talking about my mom’, and also wanted to call me. From that point, he was then grabbed and thrown to the floor like nothing,” Russell said.

The situation escalated further when Elder forcefully removed TJ from the classroom, an action witnessed by the assistant principal. Russell later took her son to the emergency room, where doctors diagnosed him with a concussion and documented multiple bruises.

Elder has since resigned from his position and declined to comment, stating he “will not be giving any statements at this moment until I have my legal affairs in order.”

Russell expressed her devastation and called for greater accountability from the Savannah Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS). “[Elder] needs to be placed in jail. He hurt my boy. I’m heartbroken because I wouldn’t do that to my child. His father wouldn’t do that to him. So for him to take the initiative to do that is sickening. What are you going through at home? Are you beating on your children? Are you beating on your wife?” she said.

BeTreylin Elder, a teacher and football coach at DeRenne Middle school @1009Dolphins in Ga, tossed a student across the classroom and it was all caught on video.https://t.co/YmDb9ZATJh pic.twitter.com/IZqCap9I10

— School PrEDatOrs (@SchoolPrEDatOrs) December 11, 2024

SCCPSS officials responded with a statement confirming Elder’s reassignment and subsequent resignation: “On December 6, 2024, an incident involving a teacher and student at DeRenne Middle School was reported to district personnel. Following the report, thorough statements were collected, and the teacher was immediately reassigned to an alternate location to ensure they had no interaction with students.”

“Please be assured that this was an isolated incident and we take matters like this extremely seriously. The safety and well-being of our student population are of the utmost importance to us, and we are committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for all,” the statement concluded.