Watch: 17-Year-Old Autistic Teen Gets 5 Years in Prison After He Brutally Beat Teacher's Assistant

On February 21, 2023, 17-year-old Brendan Depa, a student with autism at Matanzas High School in Palm Coast, Florida, became angry at a teacher’s aide who took away his Nintendo Switch when he failed to put it away after she asked. 

As 57-year-old Joan Naydich walked down a hallway, Brendan knocked her to the ground and repeatedly kicked and punched her. The incident was captured on video surveillance, which shows Naydich falling unconscious during the attack. 

Fellow teachers and staff stepped in to help once they noticed Naydich getting attacked. The group subdued Brendan and called the police.

The attack left Naydich seriously injured. She sustained multiple fractures to her face, skull, and shoulder, five broken ribs, a concussion, hearing loss, and vision problems, and received a diagnosis of PTSD.

A History of Aggressive Behavior

Brendan was placed into foster care after his birth. Leanne adopted him as an infant. He grew up with her in Tampa, where doctors diagnosed him with autism, a sensory disorder, behavior/impulse control disorder, mood disorder, and ADHD at a young age.

In 2019, Brendan was charged with battery on two separate occasions. While at a group home in Palm Coast, he became "aggressive and violent" toward staff and had gotten into a fight on a school bus in December 2021. The bus driver attempted to break up the fight but was unable.

Brendan had been in a group home in South Carolina before the attack. The facility had in-house educational programs. He did well around his mother, who understood his triggers, as well as the facility devoted to providing care for special needs children. Unfortunately, Brendan’s insurance stopped covering the costs of care at the group home, forcing Leeanne to remove him. She transferred him to a group home in Florida. None of Florida’s group homes offer in-house educational programs. Leanne enrolled him at Mtanzas.

Depa Sentenced to Prison

On August 6, 2024, 18-year-old Brendan Depa pleaded no contest to one count of aggravated battery on an elected official or education employee. 

Naydich testified in court that the incident left her traumatized and affected by PTSD and anxiety.  She also stated that she lost her job, financial security, and health insurance as a result.

Judge Terrance Perkins sentenced the teenager to 5 years in prison and an additional 15 years of probation upon his release. Judge Perkins cited Depa’s lack of remorse for his crime and his past violent behavior played a role in his sentencing decision.

Outrage by Sentencing

Brendan’s mother, Leanna Depa, claimed the judge punished him due to his race. She told the Daytona Beach News-Journal, “They are punishing that he is Black, they are punishing that he is large, and they are punishing his disability."

The video showing Brendan attacking the teacher’s aide went viral, with mixed emotions regarding how officials should have handled the situation —many condemned the prison sentences, including the Autism Society.

The organization stated on its website, in part,

”While we acknowledge the harm caused to the paraprofessional and extend our compassion, we firmly believe that this case should have been adjudicated in juvenile court or through a specialized court for behavioral health disabilities. Brendan requires intervention based on his disability, not the victimization and punishment he is certain to face in Florida’s penal system. “

Do you think Brendan Depa deserved a five-year prison sentence? Why or why not? Tell me your thoughts in the comment section below!

Sources:

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article290710499.html

https://autismsociety.org/autism-society-of-americas-autism-justice-center-condemns-sentencing-of-brendan-depa/

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/courts/2024/08/08/florida-teen-who-beat-teachers-aide-sentenced-to-5-years-in-prison/74701129007/

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