YPSILANTI, Mich. (WXYZ) — A middle school coach in Michigan has been terminated following allegations that he attacked a student, with school surveillance footage showing the coach choking the boy with a shirt. The incident has sparked outrage from the student's parents, who are demanding that the coach face criminal charges.

The student, 14-year-old Michael Moon, was reportedly assaulted by the coach at Ypsilanti Middle School last week. The confrontation began when the coach, who has not been identified, instructed Michael to do pushups as a punishment for horsing around in the hallway. Michael explained that he couldn’t do the pushups due to a hand injury and then attempted to go to class.

Seconds later, the coach pursued Michael into the hallway, removed his shirt, wrapped it around his wrists, and choked the boy from behind. The entire incident was captured on the school’s surveillance cameras.

Parent Reactions and Initial Steps

Michael’s parents, Yolanda Ellis and Steve Moon, are speaking out about the incident. “Michael told me that his coach had choked him,” Yolanda recounted. Steve expressed his anger and disbelief, comparing the video to a scene from a prison movie. “I was horrified. It made me lose trust in the school system,” Ellis added. “It also made me lose trust in that coach because he was someone that Michael looked up to.”

Upon hearing about the assault, Michael’s father immediately went to the police to report the incident, while his mother addressed the issue with the school principal. “He just told me what had happened and he told me that it was the worst thing he had seen and he was thoroughly disgusted with it and the person had been terminated,” Ellis described.

School and Legal Actions

The school district swiftly terminated the coach, who was employed as a paraeducator, and banned him from school property and activities. Despite the swift action, the school initially refused to release the surveillance footage to the family. However, the Ypsilanti police provided the video, which is now part of an ongoing investigation.

Legal and Community Responses

The family’s attorney, Jordan Vahdat, is closely monitoring the case. “We will simultaneously watch what the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office does to the school official that assaulted him, and we’re open to having a dialogue with the school to make sure this doesn’t happen again, that there’s accountability,” Vahdat stated.

The incident has caused a ripple of concern throughout the Ypsilanti community. The superintendent issued a letter to all parents, condemning the actions as unacceptable and stating that such behavior would not be tolerated in the district. The statement, however, did not directly detail the incident, leaving some parents seeking more transparency.

Ongoing Investigation and Family Concerns

Michael’s parents remain adamant that the coach should face criminal charges for the assault. “The extent of how he came after Mike and what he used to come after Mike, yes, absolutely,” Ellis said when asked about pressing charges.

The family is grappling with the decision of whether Michael will return to Ypsilanti Middle School next year. “I need this man to pay for what he did to my son, and if that means being fired, losing his job, sitting in jail, I need him to know what he did was wrong,” Moon stated emphatically.

Community and Broader Implications

This incident has highlighted broader issues regarding student safety and the accountability of school staff. Parents and community members are calling for stricter oversight and better communication from school authorities to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

As the investigation continues, the community remains vigilant, supporting Michael and his family in their quest for justice. The case underscores the importance of a safe educational environment and the need for systemic changes to protect students from harm.

Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses and more information becomes available. For now, the Moon family, their attorney, and concerned community members are focused on ensuring accountability and preventing future incidents of this nature.