A Florida teenager who assaulted his high school teacher’s aide over a Nintendo Switch was sentenced to five years in prison on Tuesday.
Brendan Depa, now 18, had previously pleaded no contest to felony aggravated battery for attacking paraprofessional Joan Naydich.
BREAKING: The Florida student who went viral for beating his teacher unconscious has been sentenced to five years in state prison.
Brendan Depa, a 6 feet, 6-inch, 270-pound teen, beat his teacher Joan Naydich for taking his Nintendo.
Depa’s mother is blaming the “system”… pic.twitter.com/cx9OznAmKr
— Miles Ch (@AttachedPress) August 8, 2024
The attack left the teacher with five broken ribs, hearing loss, and a severe concussion.
Wearing glasses and an orange prison jumpsuit, Depa reacted by tossing his head back as Circuit Judge Terence Perkins delivered the sentence for the February 21, 2023, incident at Matanzas High School in Palm Coast.
Depa faced up to 30 years in prison. In addition to the prison term, he was sentenced to 15 years of probation and is to be placed in a group home upon release.
His defence attorney argued for a probation-only sentence, citing Depa’s autism spectrum disorder and his age at the time of the incident. However, Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark insisted the severity of the assault warranted imprisonment.
“He punched her teacher 15 times while she was unconscious,” Clark stated. “Had those five individuals not intervened, I doubt she would be here today.”
The incident, captured on surveillance footage, went viral. Depa, then 17, called Naydich a derogatory term and spat in her face before pursuing her into the hallway, where he shoved her to the ground and continued to assault her.
Depa’s mother criticised the school district, claiming it failed her son and suggesting his punishment was influenced by his race, size, and disability. She argued he needed help and treatment, not imprisonment where he might face harm.
Depa also filed a lawsuit against the school district, alleging that educators did not establish a proper treatment plan to manage his prior violent behaviour and outbursts.
The lawsuit claims the district’s failures have significantly impacted Depa’s life trajectory.