The unnamed teen also faces charges for disrupting school, which carries a $1,000 fine or a sentence of up to 90 days in jail.
An attorney for the unnamed 16-year-old violently assaulted and arrested by South Carolina Officer Ben Fields at Spring Valley High School said that the girl is recently orphaned and in the custody of a foster family.
According to the Huffington Post, attorney Todd Rutherford told reporters yesterday that the teen, who was assaulted for reportedly refusing to put her phone away during class, had been taken to a hospital after the arrest, where she complained of neck, back and psychological issues. Her arm is currently in a cast, and she suffered a rug burn on her forehead.
Officer Involved in Violent Student Arrest Has Been Fired, Has History of Using Excessive Force
In an interview with the New York Daily News, Rutherford revealed that the girl is a ward of the state after reportedly losing both her mother and grandmother in recent months.
The student hasn’t issued a comment addressing the incident, but she still faces charges for disturbing school. The officer involved in the assault has been fired, and the Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into the case.
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