SECURITY GUARD CHARGED WITH PULLING GUN ON STUDENT AT DOLTON HIGH SCHOOL
A school security guard is facing felony charges after he allegedly pressed a gun against a student’s chest last month at Academy for Learning High School in south suburban Dolton.
Bennie T. Scott, 37, was charged with felony counts of disorderly conduct and aggravated battery in connection with the Nov. 28 incident, which began when he tried to break up a fight involving three students while he was working as a security guard at the school, according to Dolton Police Cmdr. Scott Maton.
During the brawl, Scott grabbed one of the students by the coat, slammed him into a wall and then pushed him to the ground, the report said. He then straddled the student and yelled “I will kill you n-----” while holding the student’s neck with two hands, according to the report.
Two other school guards intervened and separated them, police said. Scott was asked to leave for the day and went to his car in the school’s parking lot.
When two of the students involved in the fight left the building, they were confronted by Scott again, police said.
Scott came within feet of the students and yelled, “What was all that s--- you were talking about?” and pulled a black firearm from his waistband, according to police, who said the confrontation was seen by another security guard.
Scott put the muzzle of the gun against the chest of one of the students and continued to taunt him, police said. He then left in his personal vehicle.
Academy for Learning is operated by Exceptional Children Have Opportunities (ECHO) Joint Agreement, a special education cooperative that includes 17 south suburban school districts.
School officials said they took “swift action” following the incident, including barring Scott from entering the school in the future.
“It is imperative that we keep students safe while on school property, and the alleged actions of this security guard directly contradict the measures we take to ensure the safety of our school community,” Sandra Thomas, executive director of ECHO Joint Agreement, said in a statement.
Thomas said the school will continue to work with authorities to see that Scott is “prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law.”
Police said Scott was employed as a guard at the school through Prudential Security and had been warned before by a colleague not to bring his personal firearm to the school.
A woman who answered a phone number listed for Prudential Security said no one was available to comment. Messages left with the company were not immediately returned.
“IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE KEEP STUDENTS SAFE WHILE ON SCHOOL PROPERTY, AND THE ALLEGED ACTIONS OF THIS SECURITY GUARD DIRECTLY CONTRADICT THE MEASURES WE TAKE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.”
SANDRA THOMAS, executive director of ECHO Joint Agreement, in a statement