Sheri Lynn Davis: Family Sues Teacher in Student Cell Phone Beating Video

By: Edecio Martinez
Topics: Caught on Tape

Cell phone video of alleged beating at Houston-area school. (CBS/KHOU)

HOUSTON (CBS/KHOU/AP) The family of a 13-year-old boy whose beating by Houston charter school teacher Sheri Lynn Davis was caught on a classmate's cell phone has filed a lawsuit against the teacher and the school.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday on behalf of Isaiah Reagins by his mother, Alesha Johnson.

The science teacher was fired Monday night from Jamie's House Charter School, after video of Reagins' beating became public.

Davis allegedly backed 13-year-old Isaiah into a corner and began beating him while his classmates watched.

At the beginning of the video one can hear the laughter and applause from the students as Isaiah is backed into a corner by Davis after Isaiah reportedly teased a female classmate. But Janiqua Johnson, the student who shot the video on her cell phone, says Davis "snapped" and started beating the 13-year-old, according to CBS affiliate KHOU.

The teacher "just started beating him up," Janiqua Johnson told KHOU. "His behavior may have been bad but he didn't deserve that," Johnson said, referring to the teasing that preceded the alleged beating.

His family says the boy suffered a black eye and other bruises. Johnson says she's taken her son out of the school.

A spokeswoman for the school said she couldn't comment on the lawsuit, but that school officials feel they handled the situation appropriately after learning of it.

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May 12, 2010 - Teacher-Beats-Student Video; Allegedly Lashed out After Student Teased Girl

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by robinsonr3k May 23, 2010 3:48 PM EDT

Wrong is wrong. Teachers are to lead by disciple and example. I don't know the entire context; that said, there are boundaries that are just understood. You do not assault minors. The act was criminal negligent, neighboring felonious assault. I'm not a lawyer, but I do have a masters in education. Simply put, her behavior far beyond exceeded any remote concept of discipline. These actions place the institution at risk. Granted, I may be speculating, there appears to have been some type of pent up hostility, with in this teacher that erupted. This student, though he was at fault, caught the brunt of something was totally non related. Slightly changing the topic, what I find odd here, is that this story has long since left the public discourse. I take the opinion that because it was "black on black" crime. Imagine if you can, were the variables different. Were it a black man who snapped on a white female, my God, the mileage this story would have achieved would be disproportional. In the eyes of media (news media) as well as the majority of this country, this is really nothing more than "thug on thug" violence--hence not worthy of lengthy debate or critical exchange.

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by shermecom July 3, 2010 2:28 PM EDT: IT"S WORLD NEWS NOW ,TURNING INTO A RACE ISSUE!
The GRANDMOTHER IS A WHITE WOMAN SO SHE SEES THE WHITE SIDE OF THIS BEATING! Headline!
A BLACK GAY WOMAN (WANNA BE TEACHER) BEATS UP BI RACIAL 13 YEAR BI RACIAL MALE..WHITE GRANDMOTHER NOW SPEAKING OUT!

by simpleman77 May 20, 2010 2:54 PM EDT

I've been teaching now for 18 years at many grade levels in elementary, middle and high school levels. I can attest that this discipline problem in american schools has been getting worse and worse. I along with dozens of other fellow teachers feel that this year has been the absoulte worst ever and not by a small margin, and I don't know why. I am so damn sick of unruly, inconsiderate, mouthy , backtalking, rude, snotty behavior, and it's damn near all of the kids all the time. The real problem in American schools is the KIDS themselves , their PARENTS, and administrators that are paranoid scared of both, due to the unrestrained litigous society that America has become

I've seen kids with great parents that discipline them at home even become bad in school because it allowed and and totally ignored by administrators that are scared of lawsuits. I along with many other teachers often wondered when someone or one of us will reach a breaking point. As we all have been there. I know most of you will disagree but I think its about time someone took the risk and did what 90% of teachers would want to do when these rotten kids and their worthless parents KEEP ABUSING TEACHERS,, YES DAMMIT IT'S ABUSE WHAT THESE KIDS DO TO US DAILY!@ ONE OF THESE DAYS A TEACHER WILL GET TO SUE THE CRAP OUT OF ONE OF THESE KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS FOR THE VERBAL AND MENTAL ABUSE THESE KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS DISH OUT TO US.

Personally, and I speak for many teachers I know ,, the kid deserved it, he'd probably abused many other teachers before her. He deserved the slapping he got, maybe now people might realize what we go through.

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by Missladyvol May 22, 2010 3:35 AM EDT: Sounds like you are in the wrong field of work. If the children bother you so much, then why don't you quit? Go teach at a rich private school!!! They would not hire you after reading this!!!


by dew45tlw July 14, 2010 5:07 PM EDT: Would you please go ahead and RETIRE before YOU hurt a kid! No kid deserves that and the difference is that he's a kid, you're not! If there's a history with the kid, expel him or let the authorities handle him. You're supposed to be a responsible adult and you're steorotyping "damn near all of the kids all of the time" act this way. I certainly wouldn't want you teaching my kids! There are short falls regarding discipline in schools but do we as a society need to start violently handling all our problems without going through the proper channels?


by jmotta21 May 19, 2010 1:24 PM EDT: i seen this teacher on the early show. she did not seem to me like a nice person. i seen the video that child did not even raise his hand to her and she was beating the crap out of him. she deserves to be procecuted for what she did. who know's what has happen before in her class. i praise the student that videod it on their cell phone and as for the teacher that looked on she should be procecuted too for not stepping up and doing something about it. you don't just fly off the handle like this teacher did i beleive that is how this lady is in her own life. i feel bad for her kids; Reply to this comment

by tonya745 May 18, 2010 3:31 PM EDT

I am a teacher and have been for 10 years, and I have grown so tired of being disrespectful, bullies, defiant, and "grown-up". I have wanted to whip not beat a few of them myself. The problem with our children begins with the parent. Too many young parents and some middle aged are letting the kids raise themselves. Many students today do not value education; they come to school because they have too. I hate that Sheri Lynn engaged in such devistating behavior and I don't agree with it, but parents, seriously, this is one of the things we have to deal with everyday--controlling our temper as well as our actions. As God as my witness, that is very hard to do with the children we serve today. I am a young single parent(32 years of age) of two teens, and I talk to them constantly about how to behave correctly in school and to respect their elders regardless of what happens. So, again I say, parents need to step up and be parents like back in the day to avoid incidences like this from ever occuring.

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by tonya745 May 18, 2010 3:38 PM EDT: I meant to say I am tired of students being disrespectful, bullies, defiant, and "grown-up".

by mally77 May 16, 2010 10:35 PM EDT

To anyone who seriously can say that the student deserved to be beat I would just like to say that I'm a middle school teacher and even though I have rough days with my students, their behavior doesn't give us any right to beat them. Yes, there may be things wrong with the disciplinary system but abuse is never an option no matter how many "buttons" my students push, are you kidding me? For someone to say they feel for the teacher is an absolute load of ********. She's an adult and a teacher who knows exactly what she was getting into becoming a teacher in the first place, grow up and act like an adult.

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by davefromdayton May 17, 2010 9:29 AM EDT: Agreed. I work at a high school, they do make you mad and push your buttons. But as an educator, it is my responsibility to set an example of respectable, mature behavior. Beating up a 13 year old kid is not that. Send them to the office. If they won't go, call school security. It's simple act like an adult, because they will act like kids.


by Rowan69 May 16, 2010 2:32 PM EDT: Wait. I'm sorry. Am I reading your comments correctly? This is a student enrolled at a school for emotionally troubled students is it not? So if a teacher has trouble controlling herself, as can be inferred by the charges currently pending against her:
("Davis taught at the charter school for more than a year while a warrant was out for her arrest, stemming from the alleged tire slashing in January 2009. Davis is scheduled to appear in court on that criminal mischief charge, a misdemeanor, on Tuesday, according to Houston's KRIV-TV.") why shouldn't a parent take legal action against the school who hired her after she beat the hell out of their son?

Mimae & Makemyday2day: Do you think you would sit by and not take action for your child if something like this happened to them at their school? Since we can't simply shoot the teacher, one's only recourse is the court system. The parents of the students attending the school have sent their children to this school because there is already a problem with their kids. The, "teachers" (this woman is not a certified teacher by the way) know where they are working. They have chosen to work with these challenged kids and this school chose this woman to teach there. If they didn't like the work, quit. The parents count on the school doing it's due diligence in hiring qualified teachers. So if the school fails at their job, they should be held accountable for what has happened to this boy. And the way to hold a business accountable to to punish them monetarily.

I can't believe you would feel sorry for this teacher. You both should have your heads examined.

I don't know the history of this young boy and what prompted him to be placed in this type of charter school, but the way to deal with a child's inappropriate behavior is not to beat him. It is not to corner him in front of other students and humiliate him. No way, no how. Blaming this child's mother for the attack on her son is akin to blaming a rape victim for her attack because she chose to wear provocative clothes. One has nothing to do with the other.

I seriously hope you two are not in any field that deal with children.; Reply to this comment

by makemyday2day May 15, 2010 3:47 PM EDT

I would agree it was inappropriate for the teacher to go this far. HOWEVER, having said this, it appears kids now know they can virtually get away with about anything in school with the most serious punishment is to be kicked out of school. GREAT! Reward them with time out of school for their outrageous behavior. School teachers and administrators have their hands tied when it comes to discipline and there needs to be some crucial improvements in this area. I don't believe in spanking - or beating (as I call it) but let there be serious consequences for these students so teachers don't have to 'snap' before any action is taken. I feel sorry for this teacher, NOT the student. I have no doubt he was pushing every 'button' he could with this teacher to see how far he could go. When the parents go so far as to 'defend' their child with a lawsuit adds insult to injury. That's the American Way - reward the child's awful behavior with big money! Parents should be taking responsibility for their child's actions!

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by tonya745 May 18, 2010 3:32 PM EDT: AMEN!!!!YOU HAVE SAID A MOUTHFUL!!!!!!1


by mlmae May 14, 2010 2:28 PM EDT: Gosh. Didn't see that one coming.

What that teacher did was completely inappropriate and it's doubtful she'll ever be able to teach again, thank God. HOWEVER--I'm getting REALLY tired of reading about a lawsuit any time someone has a bad day.; Reply to this comment