TEXARKANA, Texas–A former behavioral specialist working at an alternative learning center has been charged with felony injury to a child for allegedly assaulting a 13-year-old male student last month and breaking his glasses.
Broderick McGraw, 43, allegedly gave an account of the incident that occurred Nov. 11 at the Texarkana Independent School District’s learning center that did not fit with what investigators observed on video surveillance, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The student had reportedly been placed in a room away from the regular classroom to calm down after becoming upset about not being able to use a computer, the affidavit said. McGraw allegedly observed the student from outside the room.
Video surveillance allegedly showed the student was walking around the room, talking to himself, on footage that began at 1:01 p.m. on Nov. 11. The student touches the door latch a couple of times, leading a female school district employee outside the room to tell him to stop making noise before McGraw bursts into the room at 1:03 p.m.
“McGraw can be seen forcefully entering the room, throwing the door open so hard that it slams into the wall,” the affidavit said. “He enters quickly and aggressively, with his chest bowed toward [the student.]”
The affidavit describes McGraw as towering over the student and pushing him into a wall while grabbing the student’s arms and body.
“A loud bang is heard as [the student’s] body hits the wall,” the affidavit said. “McGraw appears to use his forearm to push [the student’s] face into the wall, causing his glasses to break and fall to the ground.”
McGraw allegedly reported to school district officials that he went into the room because the student was spitting and kicking the walls, and that he had restrained the boy because he was using an object to harm himself, contradicting what investigators observed on the video footage.
At one point during the confrontation, McGraw allegedly pushed the students arms high above his back, causing the student to cry out in pain, the affidavit said.
McGraw was employed as a behavior support specialist, according to the affidavit.
McGraw faces two to ten years in prison if convicted of injury to a child. He is currently free on a $75,000 bond, according to the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office.