PICTURED: Teacher’s assistant, 57, who was brutally beaten by six-foot-tall teenage student, is a ‘humble’ mother of two with two jobs whose son attends high school where she was knocked unconscious and beaten
- Joan Naydich, 57, of Palm Coast, was knocked unconscious by an unidentified teenage student at Matanzas High School on Tuesday
- An unidentified special needs student attacked her after she took away his Nintendo Switch, saying he was ‘going to kill her’
- “Joan is humble, never asks for help and needs our love/support during this difficult time,” wrote friend and fellow parent, Jessica White Leon, on GoFundMe
A teaching assistant who was brutally beaten by a six-foot-tall teenage student is a “humble” mother of two whose son attends the same high school, it has been revealed.
Joan Naydich, 57, of Palm Coast, was thrown to the floor and knocked unconscious by an unidentified teenage student at Matanzas High School on Tuesday after she took his Nintendo Switch.
The mother-of-two has son Morgan, a senior, who attends high school and a daughter who graduated in 2013. She has been with Flagler County Schools since 2004 and has been with Matanzas since 2021.
“Joan is humble, never asks for help and needs our love/support during this difficult time,” wrote friend and fellow parent, Jessica White Leon, on GoFundMe. “I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Joan for the past six years through our kids’ bowling team for Matanzas HS!”
Flagler County deputies found Naydich with “serious” injuries after being hit by the student at least 15 times. She was transported to a local hospital for treatment. It is unclear if she is still in the hospital.
Sheriff Rick Staly told it WESH 2: ‘This could have been murder.’
Joan Naydich, 57, of Palm Coast, (pictured with Morgan) was thrown to the floor and knocked unconscious by an unidentified teenage student on Tuesday at Matanzas High School

The mother of two (pictured together) has a son, a senior, who attends high school and a daughter who graduated in 2013. She has been with Flagler County Schools since 2004 and has been with Matanzas since 2021.

The 17-year-old Matanzas High School student from Palm Coast (pictured), who was not named because of his age, violently assaulted the teaching assistant after he told another student he was “going to kill her” for using his Nintendo Switch had taken
The student, who has special needs, was arrested and charged with a juvenile felony charge of grievous bodily harm, which can be up to five years. He is currently in custody at the Juvenile Justice Department.
Surveillance footage released by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office shows the hulking student speeding toward Naydich before launching her across the room, her body flying several feet.
She hits the ground with her head forward, knocking her unconscious. The special needs student immediately begins kicking Naydich before kneeling down to punch her on the head and torso.

Surveillance footage released by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office shows the hulking student, 17, of Palm Coast approaching Naydich before launching her across the room

She hits the ground with her head forward, knocking her unconscious. The special needs student immediately begins kicking her before kneeling down to punch her on the head and torso

It takes five staffers to restrain and drag him away from Naydich’s body as he battles them
Another woman runs up to the student and grabs his arm, but is unable to pull him off the assistant before several others rush to drag him off her. Even after they manage to push him to the ground, he still reaches out his leg to hit Naydich a few more times.
It takes five staffers to restrain and drag him away from her body as he battles them.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office found Naydich with “serious injuries” and she was transported to the hospital for treatment.
The teen claimed he would “beat her up every time she took his game” and spit on Naydich as deputies led him away, according to the arrest report.

He told officers as he was being arrested, “F**k you, I don’t want to go to jail. I have more important things to do’