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Autistic Student Who Knocked out Teacher Over Nintendo Switch Receives 5 Years Jail Time

Esther

Brendan Depa, an 18-year-old student with autism, has been sentenced to five years in prison for brutally attacking a high school paraprofessional, Joan Naydich, over a Nintendo Switch.


The incident occurred in February 2023 at Matanzas High School in Palm Coast, Florida. Depa, who was 17 at the time, attacked Naydich after she threatened to take away his video game console.


The assault, captured on school surveillance footage, showed Depa sprinting towards Naydich, shoving her to the floor, and then repeatedly stomping on her unconscious body before punching her 15 times. Several staff members were needed to restrain Depa.


Depa pleaded no contest to a first-degree felony charge of aggravated battery on a school board employee.


Despite pleas from his mother and defense attorney for a more lenient sentence due to his autism spectrum disorder, Circuit Judge Terence Perkins handed down the five-year prison sentence, followed by 15 years of probation.


Depa will also be placed in a group home upon his release and is required to have no contact with Naydich, maintaining a distance of 500 feet from her home and workplace.


Naydich, who suffered severe physical and psychological trauma from the attack, described how the incident destroyed her life, leading to the loss of her job, financial security, and health insurance. She now suffers from PTSD and anxiety.


Depa's adoptive mother criticized the school for not adequately addressing her son's disabilities, noting that various triggers, including being told "no" and having electronics taken away, were known issues.


Depa has filed a lawsuit against Flagler County Schools, arguing that the district failed to properly address his documented behavioral and mental health needs.


Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark highlighted Depa's history of violence, which influenced the judge's decision to impose a prison sentence rather than juvenile detention.




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