Principal Educated at Oregon University Charged with Child Abuse for Violently Shoving Special Needs Student to the Ground, Video Released

Former Principal of Wolters Elementary School has been charged with child abuse after an incident on June 7th was investigated. The video of the incident was recently released to the public.

Brian Vollhardt can be seen on video talking to a student who points at him and walks towards him. Vollhardt then violently shoves the boy to the ground and out of the frame of the security camera.

There were two other staff seen in the video, they appear to be leaving with the student. The student then turns around and approaches the Principal again, this is when Vollhardt shoves the boy to the ground. The two other staff members rush to the boy. Volhardt can be seen yelling and pointing at the boy.

Vollhardt has been charged with child abuse and endangerment. He claims the boy pressed his fist against him first and believes this justifies his actions. Vollhardt resigned from his position as principal and took a job as Vice President at Tranquility High School.

According to Daily Mail:

Ann Frank, the boy’s legal guardian who described him as her son, told ABC 30 that she got a call from Vollhardt that day claiming the student assaulted him. 

Frank said it took more than three months for the tapes to confirm what her boy had told her, that it was Vollhardt who knocked him to the ground. 

‘You cannot put force to these kids like that,’ Frank said condemning Vollhardt’s actions. ‘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.’ 

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Vollhardt claims the boy was ‘getting in his face’ and had made fists and pressed them against him, causing the man to shove the kid. 

Vollhardt has a specialized certification for handling students with autism. He was placed on leave after the administration learned bout the incident and watched the video.

The attorney for the boy Jason Bell said he will be filing an official government claim against the Fresno Unified School District paving the way for a lawsuit. Bell said, “Anybody looking at that video, they don’t need three months to come to community and disclose what went on at this school.”

Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama made a statement saying he’s disappointed that he did not see the video until earlier this week and is implementing changes to make sure violent misdemeanor charges are reviewed by a supervisor.