August 11, 2022
Levy County students opened the 2022-2023 school year yesterday by returning to campus. All staff, administrators, parents and students hoped all would go well. Unfortunately, a fight erupted at the Williston Middle High School involving multiple students. The cause of the fight has not yet been determined. However, when school faculty intervened to break up the fight, one student punched a faculty member. The faculty member sustained minor injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. A second faculty member was also injured in attempting to the stop the fight.
The Williston Middle High School Resource Deputy immediately responded to the location of the fight and took a 14 year old high school student into custody for striking the faculty member. She has been charged with one felony count of battery on a school official and was booked into the Levy County Detention Center. She was later transferred into the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Sheriff McCallum and Superintendent Cowart strongly caution all students to be respectful toward each other, teachers and staff. Sheriff McCallum said, “Actions like what happened on the first day of school at Williston Middle High School will not be tolerated.” School Resource Deputies are assigned to school campuses to ensure the safety of the students and all school personnel. Any student who strikes a teacher or any school official and probable cause is established to support a criminal charge, that student will be arrested. “Students involved in these types of incidents will be charged according to the letter of the law and may potentially lead to school and school district sanctions,” said Sheriff McCallum.