Alabama Principal Who Threatened to ‘Throat Punch’ Autistic Child Is Benched

An Alabama elementary school principal who was once fired from a neighboring school district was placed on paid leave after she allegedly let a third-grader get repeatedly paddled and made violent comments about an autistic student. In a March letter from Lawrence County Superintendent Jon Bret Smith, Hazlewood Elementary School Principal Datie Priest was accused of hitting a student 15 times over three days in March. Smith alleged Priest said the student “would not take a paddling by a white teacher” and was given the choice between “two licks” by the teacher or 10 by her. Smith also said that, after an autistic student bumped into Priest, she allegedly told two teachers that she would “throat punch” him if he did it again. Smith also accused Priest of mishandling school funds and consistently showing up late to work. The head of the local NAACP chapter defended her to AL.com. “We’re still supporting her,” Bobby Diggs said. “She is a good principal.”