According to reports, Ms. Naydich, a high school teacher’s aide who was knocked unconscious by 270-pound student Brendan Depa in February, has declined to recommend a plea deal for the Florida teen. On February 21, Depa, who was 17 at the time, attacked Ms. Joanna Naydich as she tried to walk out of a classroom. In the video, Depa can be seen kicking Ms. Joanna in the back and striking her in the head until she was on the ground unconscious. The “6 ft 6 in” teen was then pulled off Ms. Joanna and restrained by other school staff members. Ms. Joanna was taken to a local hospital after the attack.
The mother of two, Joan Naydich, has posted on GoFundMe that she hopes public awareness of this incident will prevent anyone from ever having to go through the trauma, physical recovery, and disruption of daily life that this has caused. According to the GoFundMe page, Ms. Naydich is an employee of Matanzas High in Palm Coast and graduated from the school in 2013. Initially, it was reported that she had personally taken the Nintendo device from Mr. Depa, but she denied this in subsequent interviews. The GoFundMe page has raised over $100,000.
What Happened to Joan Naydich?
Brendan Depa, formerly a juvenile charged with aggravated battery, is now 18 years old and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment for the felony charge. According to a report, the victim has expressed no interest in reducing the severity of Depa’s punishment. Despite this, Depa is expected to plead guilty to the charge to avoid a prison sentence. Before the February assault, Depa had three prior battery arrests and was involved in a prison altercation only a month prior. The judge presiding over the case has the discretion to sentence Depa as a youth, with a maximum sentence of probation, and the teen’s diagnosis of autism is likely to influence the ruling.
Matanzas High School has been a hotbed of violence for a while now, according to the New York Police Department. On October 9th, 11 students got into a fight in a busy hallway. Law enforcement and school administrators tried to break up the fight but were pushed and hit. “The level of disrespect these students have displayed is outrageous,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “But there are consequences for actions.” Another violent incident happened this week when a 16-year-old student got arrested for biting an instructor who tried to break up a fight between two students.
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