Viral Video: Westside High School Teacher Accused of Slamming Student to the Ground in Musical Chairs Game
The student’s mother says her daughter suffered a concussion and bruised ribs after the pep rally incident.
September 5, 2026
This article was last updated by Rohit Maharjan on September 5, 2026
A shocking video from a Florida high school pep rally has gone viral, sparking outrage after a teacher was accused of slamming a student to the ground during a game of musical chairs.
The incident, which took place at Westside High School in Duval County, left 16-year-old Nyla Millikan with a concussion and bruised ribs, according to her family.
Nyla’s mother, Joanna Millikin, that she intends to take legal action against the teacher and the Duval County Public Schools system.
She told News4JAX that her priority is her daughter’s recovery and ensuring accountability. She said,
“Already got a lawyer acquired, and now I want to go through with pressing charges and basically getting him out of the whole DCPS school system.”
She added that Nyla has missed several days of school and sports practices due to her injuries.
Doctors told her daughter to remain out of school for two to three weeks while she recovers from the severe concussion.
The shows Nyla and a male teacher circling a chair as music plays.
Nyla recalled that the teacher was uncomfortably close to her throughout the game.
When the music stopped, she lunged for the chair, causing the teacher to stumble.
As she sat down, the teacher appeared to pull her from the seat and push her to the floor, causing her head to slam against the gym’s laminate flooring.
Two students quickly rushed to her aid while the teacher ran back to the chair and celebrated his win.
Joanna Millikin said school officials initially the incident as a “scuffle,” but she realized the seriousness when she picked up her daughter, who was crying in pain.
She immediately drove Nyla to the emergency room, where doctors confirmed a concussion and bruised ribs.
“From the video, this incident should not have occurred,” attorney Gary Englander, who represents the family, said.
“The teacher should never have put his hands on her and taken her to the ground.”
In response to the viral video, Duval County Public Schools confirmed that the teacher has been reassigned to duties that do not involve student contact while the Office of Personnel Standards investigates the matter.
District officials declined to release further details, citing the active investigation.
However, Nyla’s mother said she has spoken with the school’s principal, who admitted he was shocked by the teacher’s actions after reviewing the video himself.
For Joanna Millikin, the incident has gone far beyond a game gone wrong.
She believes no parent should have to rush their child to the emergency room because of a teacher’s actions during a school event.
“I want justice to be done because ain’t no teacher should be that close to a student they didn’t know,” she said.
“Nobody should ever have to deal with their kid going to the emergency room just for a teacher tackling their student on the ground over musical chairs.”
The Millikin family is moving forward with legal action, hoping their case will set a precedent and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
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