Police: Alleged body-slamming of student being investigated

The Columbus Police Department is investigating the incident at a Muscogee County School District alternative school in which a contracted behavioral specialist allegedly body-slammed a 13-year-old boy three times, resulting in the seventh-grader’s right leg being amputated below the knee.

Police Lt. Consuelo Askew confirmed the investigation in an interview Friday with the Ledger-Enquirer. She declined to say whom is being investigated and possible criminal charges.

“Hopefully it’s coming to an end soon,” Askew said. “I’ve still got a few interviews to do.”

Askew was the school resource officer on duty in the AIM Program at the Edgewood Student Services Center on Sept. 12, when Bryant Mosley “had to physically restrain” Montravious Thomas “due to behavioral issues,” according to her case report filed two days later.

The AIM program comprises students in grades 3-12 who are temporarily removed from their assigned school because they have violated the district’s conduct code. Montravious’ assigned school is East Columbus Magnet Academy.

Renee Tucker, the lawyer representing Montravious and his family, works with the law firm Forrest B. Johnson & Associates, which has offices in Columbus, Atlanta and Macon. Tucker has made the allegations against Mosley public and has said she served MCSD an ante litem notice of a possible $5 million lawsuit. An ante litem notice is required when someone intends to file a lawsuit against a governmental agency. Tucker has said she also plans to sue Mosley and his employer, Mentoring and Behavioral Services.

MBS is headquartered in Columbus and also serves Phenix City. According to its website, MBS “specializes in individualizing holistic behavior approaches to produce a healthy and productive environment that fosters positive growth.”

MCSD communications director Valerie Fuller told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email Friday that the school district’s investigation into the incident also continues.

“It has been on advice of legal counsel that MCSD has refrained from commenting on threatened litigation beyond the information provided by MCSD’s Communications office,” Fuller wrote. “The bulk of the relevant facts involving Montravious and his history in the District are educational records that MCSD cannot publicly discuss or release pursuant to federal law.

“This incident at AIM/Edgewood did not occur in a vacuum. It is our understanding that there were issues concerning the safety of the child and others in the room, which called for the use of restraint per state guidance. It is not appropriate for the District to publicly release information that is derived from the child’s educational records, which might provide further context.”

Montravious claims he and Mosley were the only people in the room when the incident started and then the assistant principal saw Mosley slam the student to the floor at least once, Tucker has said.

This story was originally published October 28, 2016 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Police: Alleged body-slamming of student being investigated."