Brendan Depa, an autistic teenager from Florida, who brutally beat his teacher’s aide unconscious over a video game, is described as a “ticking time bomb” in a petition filed by his attorneys against the Flagler County School District. The petition blames the school district for failing to meet the high schooler’s needs in the weeks leading up to the attack, which left the victim with five broken ribs, a severe concussion, and hearing loss. Depa has pleaded no contest to the assault and could face up to 30 years behind bars.
The petition details Depa’s history of aggression, which is attributed to various diagnosed disorders including emotional behavioral disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, mood disorder, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder. Despite being disciplined for his violent behavior in the past, Depa was not placed in restrictive placement. The petition argues that the school failed to intervene and provide consequences for his actions, allowing him to escalate his behavior until the violent assault on the teacher’s aide.
Depa’s attorneys claim that the teacher’s aide played a role in provoking the assault by engaging in a verbal fight with him in the classroom and threatening to take away his Nintendo Switch, a trigger for the teenager. They allege that Depa spit on her and followed her out of the classroom to launch the attack. The petition asserts that Depa was a “ticking time bomb” due to the circumstances leading up to the incident.
In addition to holding the school district accountable for their failures in addressing Depa’s needs and behavior, the petition also accuses them of neglecting to provide the teenager with education while he was behind bars awaiting sentencing. They are seeking compensatory education, payment for his placement in a behavioral therapeutic school, and attorney fees. Depa is scheduled to appear in court for sentencing, where he could potentially face up to 30 years in prison, a consequence that the victim has publicly supported.
