Sam Amico
A former elementary school principal is facing charges after being caught on video shoving a student. The boy had confronted him in the cafeteria.
Videos by Rare
Brian Vollhardt, 50, joined a small group of students for lunch at Wolters Elementary School in Fresno, Calif., when the incident occurred back on June 7.
A cafeteria captured Vollhardt giving a forceful shove to the child, who continuously confronted his principal, repeatedly putting his finger in Vollhardt’s face. The boy was 10-years-old at the time of the incident.
Vollhardt said the boy yelled and made fists, pressing his fists against Vollhardt, per the arrest warrant affidavit.
Principal Punches Special Needs Student
The child’s legal guardian told KFSN-TV that the principal called her following the incident and said she needed to pick up her son, indicating her son assaulted him. But the child told his guardian, Ann Frank, that Vollhardt actually hit him.
“You cannot put force to these kids like that,” said Frank. “My son is autistic. Any parents seeing this video, they know what I’m feeling right now. My son was pushed with force by this principal who was supposed to protect him.”
Viollhardt has been charged with misdemeanor child abuse. His arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 26.
“My client has been in education for 20-plus years. He’s been a teacher, a special ed teacher and administrator for many years,” Vollhardt’s attorney, Roger Wilson, told the Fresno Bee. “The conduct that’s on the video appears to be completely out of character for him.”
