By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A video of a physical confrontation between a staff member and a student at Shadow Mountain High School is raising questions about how staff handle confrontations.
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Another student captured the confrontation on camera.
Mother says she couldn’t stay silent
A Shadow Mountain mother sent the video and says she couldn’t stay silent. The video left her questioning who is supposed to protect whom.
The video shows a Shadow Mountain staff member pinning a student against a wall as the teen fights back, appearing to grab at the man’s face and head.
Destiny Kilby’s son took the video. She says it was recorded at about 9 a.m. on September 25.
“My message is: it’s not OK to hurt children,” Kilby said.
Kilby said the fight started over the school’s bathroom policy.
A second video shows the same staff member leaning in a doorway while the student screams obscenities, appearing to hold his fist to the staff member’s neck.
In the video, the student can be heard saying, “You think I’m f—ing playing with you? You gonna wrap your hands around my neck, b—-?”
Similar incident at Avondale school
A similar incident happened weeks earlier at West Point High School in Avondale. A school resource officer and a student clashed, and the student was tackled to the cafeteria floor in front of classmates.
Police are now recommending a charge to the Maricopa County Juvenile Court of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer against the student involved, Avondale police officials said.
Jaime Molera, Arizona’s former Superintendent of Public Instruction, said these confrontations are not isolated.
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“Unfortunately, it appears as though there’s more confrontations that take place,” Molera said.
Molera said these clashes are a symptom of something bigger.
“I think what happened over the pandemic is a big factor in a lot of this,” Molera said.
He said students now in middle and high school did not get acclimated to classroom structure and discipline at the same age as students before them.
Molera said the fix is preparation and de-escalation training so staff members can respond with calm and control.
“You’re a teacher, you’re a coach. You’re supposed to be a trained professional to deal with those situations. If you can’t deal with that situation, get out the kitchen,” Kilby said.
District response
A district spokesperson said they launched an investigation alongside Phoenix police regarding the Shadow Mountain incident. The staff member was immediately placed on leave while the investigation took place. The district reinstated him after the investigation concluded.
Below is a message sent to the Shadow Mountain High School community last week.
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