“The parent failed to report to the school office and instead physically assaulted a student in the hallway,” stated Fike Principal Ross Renfrow in a communication addressed to families and obtained by a local news station. Renfrow mentioned that the incident was a direct result of a situation that had transpired outside of the school premises, although he refrained from providing specific details regarding the nature of the said situation. The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed that the assault was linked to an “isolated incident that occurred off-campus.”
The parent, identified as Lofton, was subsequently charged with felony assault by strangulation and disorderly conduct. Disturbing video footage captured by WRAL News showed Lofton allegedly grabbing the student by the neck and forcefully throwing him down a staircase. The impact caused the student to convulse momentarily as he lay on the stairs before managing to slowly regain his footing and walk away shortly thereafter.
School staff swiftly intervened, separating the adult assailant from the student, de-escalating the situation, and escorting the parent out of the school building, as per Renfrow’s account. Meanwhile, the student’s family expressed bewilderment over how Lofton was able to gain access to the school premises and perpetrate the attack without timely intervention.
Following the incident, Lofton was promptly apprehended and is now prohibited from entering the high school premises. In an interview with WRAL, the student’s elder sister disclosed that her brother was deeply traumatized by the assault. “He’s extremely shaken up by the events that unfolded this morning,” she shared. “Despite the ordeal, he is trying to maintain a positive outlook.”
Authorities were promptly notified by school officials, leading to Lofton’s arrest by the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office. As a result of his actions, Lofton’s access to the high school has been permanently revoked.
