Prison time for Florida teen who beat teacher over Nintendo Switch would be ‘death sentence’: tearful mom By Social Links forKatherine Donlevy Published Nov. 30, 2023, 7:57 p.m. ET MORE ON:
The mother of the hulking Florida teen who beat his female teacher unconscious over a Nintendo Switch video game claimed prison time would be a “death sentence” for her convicted son.
Leanne Depa pleaded for leniency for the now-18-year-old Brendan Depa, who faces up to 30 years behind bars for slamming Matanzas High School paraprofessional Joan Naydich to the floor before kicking and punching her in the back and head more than a dozen times.
In her first public appearance since the February beatdown, the grieving mother Wednesday begged Naydich to request that the 6-foot-6 teenager be handed a lighter punishment.
“I am so sorry for what my son did and nobody should ever have to go through that,” Leanna Depa said on an appearance on NewsNation’s “Banfield” through tears.
“But at the same time, please consider that my son has had a hard life and he’s gone through so much trauma in his life. He has autism. Please show mercy to him.”
Brendan Depa pleaded guilty last month to beating Naydich over the video game when he was just 17, leaving her with five broken ribs, hearing loss and what she claims are ongoing cognitive problems.
The disturbing incident — and teachers’ futile attempts to stop the attack — was captured on the school’s surveillance footage.
“I feel like if he gets sentenced to prison, it’s a death sentence for him. He’s scared. And to have your child call and cry and say, ‘I don’t want to die’ — it’s awful,” Leanne Depa said.
The mourning mom blamed a laundry list of mental disabilities and a history of childhood trauma for her son’s behavior — and questioned why he was even permitted inside the Florida public school.
Brendan Depa — who grapples with severe autism, ADHD, oppositional defiance disorder and reactive explosive disorder — was placed in the school by his intensive behavioral group home despite his time at an autism behavioral hospital just two years earlier, she said.
“I had always homeschooled him because he didn’t handle the school environment. I asked the group home, ‘Did he have to go to public school? Could he not do school online?’ And I was assured by them that all of their clients went to public school,” Leanne Depa said.
“I never thought he belonged in public school. I didn’t have a choice.”
Leanne Depa added that he should have never been near the Nintendo Switch during school hours and that a crisis team is typically called before professionals take the game away.
Naydich said she had never taken the game away from the teenager, but that he lashed out after another faculty member prohibited him from playing with it.
Brendan Depa’s behavioral issues, particularly his autism, do not constitute a defense in Florida, according to the mother.
Joan Naydich walks with her council as Brendan Depa is escorted back to the holding cells. 4 Victim Joan Naydich said she wants her attacker to receive the maximum sentence of 30 years behind bars.
The teenager was initially charged as a juvenile before the federal raps were upgraded.
The troubled teen had three prior battery arrests before the assault on Naydich and was reportedly involved in a jail fight in September.
A beast who’d do something like that needs to be kept away from regular people. Prison is the perfect place for him, among his own kind, second only to the ground.
Guaranfugginteed if he gets out he’ll do it to someone else, probably multiple someones.
Don't agree pappy the sob should have been drug out of the building stood against a concrete wall and shot. Furthermore his mother should be liable for the victims medical bills. The taxpayers should not have to pay to try and incarcerate that pos. He is a total waste of oxygen.
" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
A beast who’d do something like that needs to be kept away from regular people. Prison is the perfect place for him, among his own kind, second only to the ground.
Guaranfugginteed if he gets out he’ll do it to someone else, probably multiple someones.
I do agree with one thing the "mother" said about her boy. He should of never been allowed in a public school. But, the department of education wants to "main stream" even those who shouldn't be in a public school. He should of been in a caged school. Someplace where he would of been held accountable for his bad behavior since his first day. That is NOT a public school under the direction of the FEDERAL department of education.
kwg
For liberals and anarchists, power and control is opium, selling envy is the fastest and easiest way to get it. TRR. American conservative. Never trust a white liberal. Malcom X Current NRA member.
Brendan Depa — who grapples with severe autism, ADHD, oppositional defiance disorder and reactive explosive disorder — was placed in the school by his intensive behavioral group home despite his time at an autism behavioral hospital just two years earlier, she said
Sounds like he should be imprisoned just to protect society.
Public schools are filled with youth that has no place among the other students and faculty. The teachers are on their own in the classroom. Administration pressures the teachers to “handle” the situations that arise. The kids with issues are given every provision to be among the “normal “ kids. Shouldn’t be that way. I hope this pos gets locked up for a very long time.
Brendan Depa — who grapples with severe autism, ADHD, oppositional defiance disorder and reactive explosive disorder — was placed in the school by his intensive behavioral group home despite his time at an autism behavioral hospital just two years earlier, she said
Sounds like he should be imprisoned just to protect society.
I’m old enough to remember a time we had societal consensus around this being a legit reason for incarceration.
We’ve lost our minds tho. Now that’s considered mean.
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Give a man a welfare check, a forty ounce malt liquor, a crack pipe, an Obama phone, free health insurance. and some Air Jordan's and he votes Democrat for a lifetime.
Try managing a whole classroom full of society's misfits sometime- - - -in a shop environment where every tool is a weapon, and those kids are working on cars belonging to teachers who think getting free auto care is an entitlement! I spent 30+ years doing that because the "counselors" didn't want those animals in the same classes with the college bound kids.
A beast who’d do something like that needs to be kept away from regular people. Prison is the perfect place for him, among his own kind, second only to the ground.
Guaranfugginteed if he gets out he’ll do it to someone else, probably multiple someones.
I do agree with one thing the "mother" said about her boy. He should of never been allowed in a public school. But, the department of education wants to "main stream" even those who shouldn't be in a public school. He should of been in a caged school. Someplace where he would of been held accountable for his bad behavior since his first day. That is NOT a public school under the direction of the FEDERAL department of education.
kwg
Tried to mainstream that kid. Really a terrible idea.
Slaves get what they need. Free men get what they want.
It all depends on the administration or lack of. If they back the teachers those misfits won’t be there to cause trouble. You can’t teach a pack of wild animals.
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