Additional suspects arrested in Covington High Tik-Tok teacher attack

COVINGTON, La. (WVUE) - Following the arrest of a Covington High School student for attacking a teacher after an apparent Tik-Tok challenge gone wrong, police have announced the arrest of additional suspects.

Trinity Gervais, 18, and a juvenile suspect turned themselves into the Covington Police Department after they were identified by detectives conducting an investigation.

The juvenile suspect was released on a custodial agreement and Gervais was issued a misdemeanor summons. Both suspects were charged with violation of L.R.S. 14:107.4, Unlawful Posting Of Criminal Activity For Notoriety and Publicity (Misdemeanor).

A school spokesperson said that all involved may face additional disciplinary actions from officials.

A wheelchair-bound 64-year-old teacher was injured in an attack after the bell rang, and the superintendent says he is appalled.

Police say that Larrianna Jackson, 18, was arrested after video captured her physically assaulting the teacher after the dismissal bell rang. Video obtained from another student’s cell phone shows Jackson striking the teacher four times as she’s hurled to the ground.

“I was just devastated to know what our teachers go through on a day-to-day basis just to educate students,” said St. Tammany Schools Superintendent Frank Jabbia. “For this teacher to be having a conversation with a student and then to be assaulted in this manner was very disturbing.”

Jabbia says anyone involved will be disciplined.

The teacher was badly bruised and rushed to a hospital for treatment. She was released but Jabbia says her condition will be monitored over the next couple of days.

“She is hurting,” he said. Jabbia says it’s unknown if the teacher will return to the classroom following the attack.

Jackson was arrested and accused of a felony count of battery of a school teacher. Jackson was transported to the St. Tammany Parish Jail where she will await prosecution.

Officers learned that the violent attack may have been prompted by a viral Tik Tok challenge. Evidently, users on the app have deemed it to be a challenge to damage school property and attack teachers.

Tik Tok says any “slap a teacher” content will be removed from the platform.

“In some cases, the kids don’t know the boundaries as to what’s appropriate to post or not appropriate,” says Tulane Social Media Professor Ashley Nelson.

Nearly half of the app’s 130 million users are under the age of 29.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.

Copyright 2021 WVUE. All rights reserved.