Middle school deputy principal in Salisbury resigns as district investigates video - WBTV

SALISBURY, N.C. (WBTV) - A middle school principal in Salisbury has resigned after a video surfaced, prompting an investigation by the district.

Dr. Christopher McNeil resigned from Knox Middle School on Oct. 12.

“The safety of all students and staff is the highest priority for Rowan-Salisbury Schools,” Rowan-Salisbury Schools said in a statement.

District administrators are investigating a video of him in a verbal and physical confrontation with a student.

The altercation has been shared all over Facebook.

One woman posted the incident and asked people to share it and show what happened.

Middle school assistant principal in Salisbury resigns as district investigates video(WBTV)

The woman who shared the video said no child should ever be spoken to like what was shown in the video.

While the video doesn’t show everything that led up to the confrontation between McNeil and the student, in the video, you can hear how tense it is.

McNeil says out loud that he thinks the student may be close to hitting him.

”You keep cracking your knuckles. You do what you do because when you hit me, I’m going to beat the piss out of you, I’m telling you now,” McNeil can be heard saying. “I’m telling you what I’m going to do. I’m going to put my hands on you.”

“I’m going to get up...listen man.... I will beat the **** out of you,” he adds in the video. “OK, while I’ll tell you what. You got the right one today. OK. I’m going to tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to wait for you to get up, and when you hit me I’m going to lose my job and they’re going to call the police.

In the video, you can hear the frustration between the student and McNeil.

Then, the video shows moments later when that student gets up from his seat and approaches McNeil who is in a wheelchair.

McNeil and another staff member grabbed that student and took the child out of the classroom.

McNeil released a statement Wednesday about his resignation and said the recent events have left him with “a very heavy heart.”

He went on to say he is seeking legal counsel to respond more and he isn’t afraid of people hearing the entire story of what transpired in the classroom.

“The edited portion of the video being circulated on social media shares only a very small part of a very long story.”

Statement from McNeil(Chris McNeil)

McNeil was hired as deputy principal at Knox Middle School in June 2016.

He has been with the Rowan-Salisbury Schools since 2005, serving as math teacher, assistant principal and principal intern before becoming assistant principal at Salisbury High School and then Knox Middle School.

McNeil attended Livingstone College.

WBTV News will have more on the investigation at 6 p.m.

Copyright 2021 WBTV. All rights reserved.

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Middle school deputy principal in Salisbury resigns as district investigates video - WBTV
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