- Joan Naydich was violently attacked by Brendan Depa, then 17 years old, at Matanzas High School after she told him to stop playing on his Nintendo Switch.
- He was seen punching and kicking the educator in the back and head until she lay on the ground unconscious
- Naydich says she was placed on an unpaid leave shortly after returning to work in August and has been surviving on donations from the local community
A Florida teacher who was viscously beaten by a student has claimed she has been forced to live off donations after being put on unpaid leave by the school.
Joan Naydich was violently attacked by Brendan Depa, then 17 years old, at Matanzas High School in February after she told him to stop playing on his Nintendo Switch.
The autistic 6-foot 6-inch teen, now 18, was seen punching and kicking the educator in the back and head until she lay on the ground unconscious. He pleaded no contest as an adult for first-degree aggravated battery.
Naydich alleged she was placed on an unpaid leave of absence shortly after returning to work in August under a different title and has been surviving on charity from the community.
Her revelation comes weeks ahead of a court hearing where Depa is set to be sentenced and Naydich is calling on the former student to be locked up for the maximum of 30 years.
Naydich suffered five broken ribs, a severe concussion and loss of hearing in one of her ears following the attack.
‘I was attacked on February 21st and I feel like I’m just constantly being attacked,’ she told Fox35.
The educator said she has been struggling to get her workers’ compensation case resolved.
She claimed she returned to work in August under a different title but was placed on unpaid leave just a few days later.
Naydich said she is frustrated with the lack of support from the Flagler County school district. She revealed she has not watched the video since it was released and does not want to.
Naydich said Depa was angry with another member of staff who did not allow him to play on his Nintendo Switch.
She confirmed she did not take his device from him before the attack.
She has visited several different doctors who are searching for a diagnosis for some of the neurological symptoms she now has.
‘Everybody that knows me or knew me [before the attack], knows that I’m a totally different person now,’ she said. ‘My whole life was just turned upside down.’
Naydich claimed her speech has slowed, she has issues with patience and frequently has difficulty with routine cognitive functions.
‘Unfortunately, a lot of my injuries that are not visible I’m going to have for the rest of my life,’ she added.
Depa has pleaded no contest to the charge and now faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison which is what Naydich wants.
She said she is willing to speak up at the court hearing if necessary.
‘I want to make sure he is not able to walk the streets freely,’ she added.
‘I have no idea what closure looks like right now. I just want to be whole again.’
Depa had three prior battery arrests before the February attack and was in a prison fight in September, the Post reported.
He was led shackled into court in Florida wearing an orange jumpsuit on October 30 to plea to the charges. The minimum recommended prison sentence is just short of three years.
His lawyer, Kurt Teifke, sought to have him declared incompetent to stand trial, because he is autistic.
A court-appointed psychologist found Depa was in fact competent to stand trial and Circuit Judge Terence Perkins will decided his fate early next year.
Depa’s family had hoped to minimize or eliminate prison time altogether and instead focus on probation and treatment for their son, but the prosecution appears to have been unwilling to negotiate.
Naydich has also ‘shown no interest in mitigating what penalties Depa might face’.
He is currently being held at the Flagler County jail on $1 million bond and his sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 31.
DailyMail.com has contacted Flagler County school district for comment.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
