Louisiana student who attacked wheelchair-bound teacher to serve one year in prison

COVINGTON, La. (WVUE) - A Covington High School student who attacked a teacher in a TikTok challenge gone wrong has pleaded guilty to second-degree battery and cruelty to the infirmed charges.

Larrianna Jackson, 19, originally pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity last December.

Video captured Jackson, then 18 years old, assaulting a 64-year-old wheelchair-bound teacher and throwing her to the ground after the dismissal bell rang in October 2021. The teacher was badly bruised and was taken to a hospital. She was released after a couple of days.

During Jackson’s plea, District Attorney Warren Montgomery says the victim was present and described how her life was altered by the attack.

Judge Richard Swartz sentenced Jackson to five years in prison for each charge with all but one year suspended. Jackson will serve her year in prison without the benefit of probation or parole. The victim was granted a lifetime protective order.

Following her release, Jackson will serve three years of probation with anger management classes and mental health counseling.

Officials say the teacher suffered lacerations and bruises on both arms, trauma to the head, a concussion, trauma to the neck, a fractured rib, and a sprained wrist. A chunk of the teacher’s hair was pulled from her head and DA Montgomery says an eye specialist diagnosed her as being “one step away from a detached retina.”

DA Montgomery says investigators were never able to determine if the “Slap a Teacher” TikTok challenge was the motive behind the attack, but another student told officers the video had been uploaded to TikTok.

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