Pinellas County deputies arrested three Seminole Middle School students on April 21, charging them with battery on two school employees.

  • Incident occurred on April 18
  • Teacher, support employee were battered
  • Incident captured on school surveillance video

Officials said the three students, whose names we are withholding in accordance with our Crime Guidelines, were involved in an April 18 altercation that injured a school support employee.

The incident reportedly started around 3 p.m., when one of the students was instructed to leave a classroom by his teacher, Jacklyn Rivera, 32, as he was causing a disruption. The student left, but returned and tried to force his way into the room.

In an effort to prevent that student from confronting other students in her class, Rivera stood in the doorway and tried to re-direct the student away from her class. The student, in turn, pushed Rivera in the midsection as he forced his way into the room.

At that point, other students in Rivera's classroom dragged the aggressor student out into the hallway, and an altercation between the students followed.

Deputies said school associate Mark McConnell then responded to the commotion outside Rivera's classroom. As he was walking down the hallway, a student stole McConnell's keys from his pocket.

When McConnell tried to recover his keys, he was grabbed from behind by a third student and forced to the ground, causing a minor injury.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office released video of the first student violently pushing Rivera in her classroom. Click on the "WATCH" link above to view the video. (NOTE: The video has been deliberately blurred to conceal the faces of students.)

Following their arrest on April 21, the three juveniles were transported to the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center. They were each charged with one count of Battery on a School Employee.