(Rightallegiance.com) – A Florida student, Brendan Depa, was sentenced to five years in prison on Tuesday for beating a school employee unconscious after she confiscated his Nintendo Switch last year, according to court records. Depa, who is now 18, entered a no-contest plea to one count of aggravated battery on an elected official or education employee, as documented by the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court in Flagler County.
At the time of the assault, Depa was 17. He was also given a 15-year probation sentence. During the sentencing, Judge Terence Perkins noted Depa’s lack of remorse for the February 21, 2023, attack at Matanzas High School, located north of Daytona Beach.
Footage of the incident shows Depa charging at the employee, Joan Naydich, and knocking her to the ground. The video captures her body going limp as Depa repeatedly kicks and punches her more than a dozen times.
The arrest report indicated that Naydich lost consciousness due to the attack. In court, she testified about her ongoing struggles with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the assault. “My life will never be what it was before,” Naydich stated.
Depa’s mother testified that her son has mental health issues and was triggered by the confiscation of his electronics. A court-ordered evaluation confirmed that he has autism and other conditions, which deemed him competent to stand trial.
“I think he needs help, and I think he needs treatment,” Leanne Depa said after the sentencing. “But I don’t think he needs to be put away in a prison where he’s going to be taken advantage of or harmed.” She also criticized the school district for not adhering to the individualized education program designed to support her son’s special needs.
Depa’s family has sued the school district, accusing officials of failing to provide adequate support and contributing to the circumstances that led to the assault. The school district has not commented on the allegations, and the district superintendent did not respond to requests for comment.