The NY Daily News exaggerates a surveillance video showing a teacher restraining a troubled 15-year-old boy in a New York school.
Using misleading language describing security dean Steven Hudson’s actions as a “severe beating,” the newspaper showed the video to student Kristoff John’s mom.
The troubled 15-year-old was restrained at Technical Education High School in Brooklyn.
“Oh my god!” she gasped when she saw Kristoff John being restrained during the March 6 incident at school. “No! No! No!”
“They lied to me!” the betrayed mom said tearfully when The News showed her the clip for the first time. “No one wants to see their son taken advantage of and beaten like this.”
After uniformed police arrive on the scene Kristoff continues to fight them as he is restrained.
“I was fearing for my life,” he said. “I was surprised he hit me. I didn’t have time to think,” said Kristoff.
In fact the boy is the aggressor. But you can’t tell that by reading the Daily News article.
At no time did the 300 lb Hudson punch or hit the boy. He did what was necessary to restrain a student who made aggressive gestures toward school staff.
The incident began when Kristoff attempted to swipe his security card but it failed to work. He pushed his way into the school and he was grabbed by Hudson when he refused to swipe his security card again.
The teacher, Hudson, refused to talk to The News when confronted at the school’s graduation and again at his Jersey City home.
The school’s principal, Janine Kieran, also did not respond to several requests for comment.
Kristoff was sent to live with relatives in his native Grenada.
