Deputy fired for tossing teen in classroom

Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C.

A deputy who flipped a disruptive student out of her desk and tossed her across her math class floor was fired Wednesday.

The sheriff called his actions “unacceptable,” and said videos recorded by her classmates show the girl posed no danger to anyone.

“What he should not have done is throw the student,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said. “Police officers make mistakes, too. They’re human, and they need to be held accountable, and that’s what we’ve done with Deputy Ben Fields.”

Civil-rights groups praised the swift action against Fields, a veteran school resource officer and football coach at Spring Valley High School. Outrage spread quickly after videos of the white officer arresting the black teenager Monday appeared on the Internet.

Scott Hayes, an attorney for the deputy, said in a statement released to local media that the officer’s actions were justified and lawful. He said Fields wouldn’t have any comment because of the federal investigation.

Lott thanked the FBI for investigating whether civil rights were violated, and school officials for promising to review how police are used for discipline.

“They need to understand that when they call us, we’re going to take a law-enforcement action,” Lott said. “Maybe that ought to have been something handled by the school without ever calling the deputy.”

The sheriff also had stern words for the student who started the confrontation by refusing to hand over her cellphone after her math teacher saw her texting in class – a violation of school policy.

Both she and another student who verbally challenged the officer’s actions during the arrest still face misdemeanor charges of disturbing schools, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or 90 days in jail, Lott said.