Teen seen on TikTok attacking teacher in wheelchair pleads insanity, Louisiana cops say
A Louisiana teen who was filmed attacking a high school teacher in a wheelchair in October is now pleading not guilty by reason of insanity, officials say.
A TikTok shows the teen accused in the attack, Larrianna Jackson, knocking a 64-year-old teacher out of her wheelchair and continuing to hit her on the ground at Covington High School, WVUE reported around the time of the attack, which occurred Oct. 6.
District Attorney Warren Montgomery said in a Facebook post that Jackson was charged with felony second-degree battery and cruelty to the infirmed, facing up to 10 years in prison. Jackson’s arraignment date was set for Dec. 8.
Now, she’s pleading not guilty due to reason of insanity, WDSU reported.
Roy Burns Jr., who is representing Jackson, told nola.com that she was a special education student who had complained about her teacher. But the initial report from investigators indicated there may have been peer motivation behind the incident.
Investigators believed Jackson was taking part in the “slap a teacher” challenge on TikTok, WVUE reported. The social media platform denounced the challenge and stated it would remove any content relevant to the challenge.
“The rumored ‘slap a teacher’ dare is an insult to educators everywhere,” TikTok Communications posted on Twitter.
According to WDSU, the teacher was seriously injured during the attack and was treated at a nearby hospital.
Jackson will be evaluated by two state psychiatrists to determine if she is mentally competent to stand trial, Burns told nola.com.
This story was originally published December 9, 2021 at 6:24 PM with the headline "Teen seen on TikTok attacking teacher in wheelchair pleads insanity, Louisiana cops say."
