An elementary school principal in California is under investigation after video footage emerged of him pushing a child to the ground.
Wolters Elementary School Principal Brian Vollhardt is seen in the video standing in casual clothing in the school’s cafeteria when a young boy confronts him and points his finger in his face twice. Vollhardt then pushes the boy onto the ground just out of the frame of the camera and continues to pursue him with his finger pointed down at him. There were two adults on the scene who did not seem to interfere other than by helping the boy stand back up.
The Fresno Unified School District and the Fresno Police Department released the footage Wednesday during a press conference. While the incident occurred on June 7, police were notified on June 9 and filed a report on June 13. Their police chief admitted he wasn’t aware of the incident and hadn’t seen the video until Tuesday, a day before the conference.
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Vollhardt resigned when the investigation into the incident began and was hired at Tranquility High School in a different district, Golden Plains, shortly after. The district claimed it was unaware of the incident.
This case was passed to the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday, which then accepted a charge of willful cruelty to a minor. Upon learning about the charges, Golden Plains School District placed Vollhardt on administrative leave.
“Golden Plains Unified School District is deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our students,” Superintendent Martin Macias said. “It is the sole intention of the district to comply with active district policies and procedures as well as state law. We will be working closely with our legal counsel, as more information is available.”
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Vollhardt had worked for the Fresno Unified School District since 2014.
