Teacher throws student after vulgar jokes about his mother

In Savannah, Georgia, on December 6, 2024, an alarming incident occurred at DeRenne Middle School involving an 11-year-old student named TJ and a football coach, BeTreylin Elder. The altercation began when Elder, who had made inappropriate sexual jokes regarding TJ's mother, verbally taunted the student. TJ sought to confront the teacher and requested that he refrain from speaking about his mother. Instead of addressing TJ's concerns, the coach responded violently by grabbing and throwing the child to the ground, an action witnessed by the assistant principal present in the classroom. Following this, the assistant principal was informed about the incident, leading TJ's mother, Che'Nelle Russel, to take her son to the emergency room. Upon examination, medical professionals determined that TJ had suffered a concussion along with multiple bruises as a result of the incident. Che'Nelle Russel expressed her horror at the situation, emphasizing that this behavior was unacceptable, especially from an educator. She revealed that she had never met Elder before this incident and was appalled not only by his physical aggression but also by his inappropriate comments regarding TJ's mother. The school district responded promptly after the report of the incident: BeTreylin Elder was reassigned to an alternate location to prevent further interaction with students. Subsequently, Elder submitted his resignation, which was accepted by the Savannah Chatham County Public School System Human Resources. The district released a statement reaffirming their commitment to the safety and well-being of their students, promising a thorough investigation into the events leading up to the violent altercation. Che'Nelle articulated her concern for her son's emotional well-being moving forward, expressing hope that he would not develop a negative perception of teachers as a result of this traumatic experience. She voiced the need for systemic changes within educational establishments to ensure such incidents are prevented in the future. Following the incident, the community began to discuss the implications of educator conduct, emphasizing the necessity for maintaining professional boundaries and fostering a safe learning environment for all students. The incident has sparked debates on teacher accountability and the need for schools to implement stricter measures in response to inappropriate behavior by faculty members as part of a larger effort to protect students from similar occurrences in the future.