Canton family announces legal action after alleged assault of 8th grader. See details
CANTON — The family of a Nichols Middle School student is taking legal action against the City of Canton and the school following an alleged physical assault on the student in early April.
According to Alexis Davis, her daughter, Catanna Francois, was allegedly assaulted by a resource officer at Nichols Middle School on April 4. Francois is an eighth grader at Nichols. The resource officer is also a Canton police officer, according to the Davis and Francois family attorney. The school released a statement saying the resource officer has been fired. The resource officer has not been charged by Canton police, according to the family attorney, and continues to serve on the Canton police force.
Francois' family retained Grenada-based attorney Carlos Moore to pursue legal action against the school. No suit had been filed as of press time. A call to the Canton Police Department was not immediately returned by press time.
Francois, 15, and Davis joined Moore on the front steps of Canton City Hall Monday afternoon to provide more details on the incident and plans for legal action.
Davis said Francois has a medical condition that requires her to take medication. Francois asked her teacher for permission to go to a different teacher's classroom to get water so she could take her medication. Davis said the other teacher regularly provides Francois water when she takes her medication.
Davis said Francois encountered the school's resource officer in the doorway of a second classroom, and the officer proceeded to physically and verbally assault Francois.
The events immediately leading up to the altercation remain unclear. Davis said the officer made a comment about Francois wearing headphones in school.
Francois declined to comment during the press conference. Moore said Francois is still in shock and seeking counseling following the incident.
Davis did say that the officer pulled Francois' hair resulting in a bald spot. Davis also said the officer choked Francois and yelled in her face.
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"(Francois is) your typical teenager," Davis said. "She's not disrespectful, and she never had a problem."
Moore announced that he will file lawsuits against the school and the city, since he said the officer was a city employee.
Moore also said there is video footage of the incident, which the Nichols Middle School principal has seen. Moore said he is in the process of obtaining the footage.
Francois has not returned to school since the incident. Davis said she is planning to send her daughter to a different school next school year starting in fall 2024. Francois has plans to return to Nichols Middle School before the current school year ends in May.
A representative of Canton Public Schools said the district does not have any comments regarding the law suits at this time.
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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Canton family pursues legal action after alleged assault of eight grader
