A large autistic Florida teenager who violently beat his teacher’s aid unconscious over a video game was reportedly a “ticking time bomb,” the boy’s attorneys said in a petition filed against the student’s school earlier this week.
Brendan Depa’s legal team blamed the Flagler County School District for not meeting the boy’s needs before the attack, which took place in February 2023, according to the New York Post. The brutal attack left paraprofessional Joan Naydich with five broken ribs, a severe concussion, and hearing loss.
As a consequence, Depa now faces up to 30 years in prison after pleading no contest to the beatdown that was caught on camera inside the school building. However, the boy’s attorneys claim that the incident only happened because the district committed a series of violations resulting in “significant harm” to the teen.
“The district should be held to account for its failures which have forever changed the trajectory of this young man’s life,” the petition states, which was obtained by Flagler Live.
Not only did the attorneys blame the school district, but they also suggested that Naydich asked for her own beating after she reprimanded Depa in front of his classmates. She proceeded to threaten to take away his Nintendo Switch that ultimately turned into a verbal fight.
Afterward, Depa spit on Naydich. The paraprofessional left the classroom to report him for assault, prompting him to follow her and launch the horrific attack.
“The school did not seem to have any control over B.D. and B.D. was allowed to do whatever he wanted with little to no intervention or consequences,” the petition stated, adding that the school had a responsibility to intervene.
“To allow B.D. to continue to escalate only led to the incident where the paraprofessional was harmed and B.D. was arrested,” the petition went on.
“Had these issues been addressed in real time, B.D. would not have harmed the paraprofessional and would not have been arrested and facing significant time incarcerated.”
“B.D. was a ticking time bomb,” the petition added.
Depa’s legal team — who also said the teen failed to receive education while he was behind bars — is requesting “compensatory education” and payment for his admittance into a behavioral therapeutic school for students with disorders.
Depa is set to appear in court on Wednesday for sentencing.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!