Volusia County school employee accused of kicking student during behavioral incident: Deputies

Volusia County school worker accused of kicking student, 17

An employee of Seabreeze High School is accused of child abuse after deputies say he kicked a student. The Volusia County Sheriff's office, who is investigating the incident, said the 17-year-old student with down syndrome was having a bad day when the incident occurred.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - A school employee is facing child abuse charges after deputies say he intentionally kicked a 17-year-old Seabreeze High School student during a behavioral incident. 

What we know:

Dontel Wright, 50, is facing charges pertaining to cruelty towards a child – child abuse without great bodily harm. He was arrested on Feb. 5. 

Investigators said the student – who has down syndrome – was having a bad day due to their favorite teacher not being at school that day. That was a trigger for the student – leading to the student not being able to cope and handle the day's events, deputies said. The student was running through the hallway, which required several school members to follow and track them throughout the day, the sheriff's office said. 

The Volusia County Sheriff's office is conducting the investigation, which revealed that Wright forcibly pulled the student from under bleachers after the student hid from Wright following the alleged kicking, deputies said. When Wright pulled the student's body from the bleachers, this caused the student's head to whip backwards, the arrest affidavit said. 

The student did not sustain any injuries from the incident, deputies said. The student's parents intend to press charges, the sheriff's office said. 

Dual investigations underway

This alleged incident is being investigated on two fronts: 

Criminal Investigation: Local law enforcement is taking the lead on all criminal charges and fact-finding.

Employment Investigation: The Volusia County Schools Professional Standards team is conducting an internal review to determine if district policies were violated.

In response to the allegations, the school said Wright was removed from campus. 

"The safety and well-being of our students remain the highest priority," Seabreeze High School Principal Tucker Harris said. 

What's next:

According to a Volusia County Jail log, Wright is being held without bond.