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A Batavia High School employee will not face charges after police investigated a video circulated on social media that reportedly showed the worker putting a student in a headlock.
Around 1:17 p.m. Oct. 21, there was a “disturbance” in the lunchroom of the high school that involved multiple students and an adult staff member, according to police.
Police said they interviewed a number of students and staff members and watched all available video surveillance footage and cellphone videos.
Police said a preliminary investigation indicated a female student and other students at a lunch table began a verbal argument and a male campus monitor walked over to the table to intercede.
The campus monitor tried to de-escalate the situation verbally and was ignored by the female student, police said. The student then walked around the campus monitor and began arguing with a male student seated at the table, according to police.
The female student then struck the male student several times in the head, police said. The campus monitor, who was standing next to the female student, took action to separate the female from the male student and pinned the female student against a nearby table, according to officials.
Police said the campus monitor tried to keep control of the female student while she was actively striking and yelling at him.
“There was no available evidence that suggested that the holds used by the campus monitor were either intentionally or accidentally restrictive of blood flow or normal breathing ability of the student, and the student continued to strike the campus monitor while he attempted to control her,” police said in a statement.
The campus monitor was able to use his radio to call for help and kept control of the female student until additional staff members arrived to assist, police said.
Upon completion of the investigation, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the evidence and determined there was no probable cause to criminally charge the campus monitor.
A Batavia School District 101 spokesperson said the district has not finalized its investigation into the incident and the campus monitor remains on leave pending its conclusion.