Shocking video shows Michigan high school coach choking 14-year-old boy in T-shirt as parents demand assault charges

The parents of a 14-year-old boy are demanding that a Michigan high school coach be charged with assault after surveillance video caught him choking their son along with his shirt.

“I want this man to pay for what he did to my son, and if that means getting fired, losing his job, or going to jail, I want him to know what he did was wrong” – Steve Moon he told WXYZ-TV.

Surveillance footage from Ypsilanti Community Middle School shows last week’s attack. The coach was seen removing his shirt, folding it along with his wrists, then approaching 14-year-old Michael Moon from behind and choking him.

The video shows the teenager struggling for about 20 seconds, losing the blush on his face, after which managing to interrupt free from the trainer’s grip.

The teenager’s parents said their son suffered neck injuries and has not desired to return to school because the incident.

“I was angry,” Steve Moon said. “I said if he can do it to Michael, I’d like to see him try to do it to me.”

Michael told his parents that the coach saw him running in the hall and told him to do some push-ups. Michael said he couldn’t because he injured his hand. His mother confirmed that he had suffered a hand injury, and surveillance footage showed Michael showing his hands to the coach before walking away.

Then the trainer followed him and attacked him.

“I was terrified. It made me lose trust in the school system,” Michael’s mother, Yolanda Ellis, told WXYZ-TV. “It also made me lose trust in this coach because he was someone Michael looked up to.”

Ellis tried to acquire a replica of the surveillance video from the school, but authorities denied her request. The family later received the video from the police.

The school’s superintendent sent a letter to parents but didn’t provide information in regards to the coach or provide details of what happened. Authorities only confirmed that a “serious incident” had occurred and that the coach had been fired and banned from the school grounds.

“We are committed to full cooperation with the authorities involved,” the letter reads Fox2 Detroit. “Due to the ongoing nature of this investigation and the student’s involvement, we are unable to provide specific details.”

The coach has not currently faced any criminal charges, but Michael’s parents have filed a police report. The family’s attorney said he’s currently conducting his own investigation into the incident.

“At the same time, we will be watching what the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office does to the school official who attacked him, and we are open to dialogue with the school to ensure this does not happen again and that it is held accountable,” attorney Jordan Vahdat said.

Ypsilanti Community Middle School is situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan, roughly 55 miles from Detroit.