OCALA, Fla. – A Marion County elementary school principal was arrested Saturday on allegations of putting a student in a choke hold, striking him with a cable, twisting his ankle, slapping him in the face and preventing him from leaving a classroom for over 40 minutes.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said Dontay Akeem Prophet, 33, the principal at Destiny Leadership Academy in Ocala, was arrested on charges of aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment of a child under 13 years of age.
According to the sheriff’s office, a deputy on Friday investigated a call about a physical disturbance between a student and the principal.
During the investigation, surveillance video from the classroom shows Prophet preventing the child from leaving the room for over 40 minutes. Deputies said the video captured Prophet grabbing the student, restraining him on the ground and employing a choke hold.
Sheriff’s officials said Prophet can also be seen on camera using a charging cable to strike the child, causing the boy to fall and sustain injuries. Prophet also twisted the child’s ankle, slapped the student in the face and subjected him to further physical abuse, deputies said.
“I don’t know if you know this or not, but there’s a security camera in that room,” a deputy can be heard saying in released body-camera footage.
“There is?” Prophet can be heard asking.
According to sheriff’s officials, Prophet claimed the altercation was an attempt to prevent the child from harming himself.
Authorities, however, said the evidence clearly contradicted Prophet’s claims, and he was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was being held without bond.
Investigators said the video makes the case very clear.
“When our deputy arrived and viewed the surveillance video of this teacher stopping the child from leaving, hitting him, holding him down, putting him in a chokehold until he finally lets him leave the room — it’s heartbreaking,” Valerie Strong with MCSO said. “We send our children to school to people who are supposed to teach them and protect them and help them flourish from children into adults.”
According to the school’s website, Destiny Leadership Academy offers a “K-5th grade education with Christian principles and character-building strategies.”
“Students are provided a high-quality, ability-based learning environment that links student achievement to school and classroom practices, and allows teachers to connect with students more effectively by understanding your child’s specific academic and developmental needs. Being an ability-based school provides an enriched learning environment consistent in helping your student achieve academic excellence,” the website states.