Weldon Hastings
Garfield Heights, Ohio
In a significant legal development, a former assistant principal at Garfield Heights Middle School, Lindsey Komora, has pleaded guilty to an assault charge. The incident, which occurred on May 4, 2023, involved Komora placing a student, Ro’Shon Ballard, in a headlock during an argument between Ballard and another student at the school.
The confrontation was captured on cell phone video, which showed Komora putting her arm around Ballard’s neck in what was described by witnesses as a chokehold. “It was a choking incident,” recounted Robbin Ballard, Ro’Shon’s mother. She noted that the students were not physically fighting, but were merely arguing verbally when Komora intervened.
Robbin Ballard expressed her distress over the incident, acknowledging the complexities of working with children but expecting conflicts to be handled differently. “It’s disturbing…you just expect things to be taken care of differently,” she stated.
Following the incident, Komora was placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of the school district’s investigation. She was initially indicted on two counts of strangulation and one count of assault but ultimately accepted a plea deal that saw the strangulation charges dropped.
Komora is now on probation. Despite the severity of the situation, Robbin Ballard mentioned that she harbors no ill will towards Komora, believing in her remorse. “She was sorry for what she did. I do believe that from my heart, so we chose to forgive,” she said.
Ro’Shon continues to attend Garfield Heights Middle School and participates in several sports teams. The Ballard family is focused on moving forward from the incident, emphasizing a mishandled situation rather than attributing it to Komora’s character. “I don’t think she is a bad person at all,” Robbin Ballard remarked.
The school district has since terminated Komora’s employment, effective September 30, marking the end of her tenure on the day she was officially dismissed.
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