A fight between students at North Atlanta High School escalated Wednesday when one student let her mother on campus during the lunch break, school officials said.
That mother is now facing criminal charges.
The mother and daughter allegedly attacked the other student, a 14-year-old girl, in a school bathroom. The victim is the daughter of reality star Sierra Gates, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Gates has appeared on multiple seasons of VH1's popular reality series "Love & Hip Hop Atlanta." She owns The Glam Shop, a salon on Peters Street in the Castleberry Hill neighborhood.
The fight was captured on cellphone video and shared with Channel 2. In the video, multiple girls are shown struggling against a bathroom stall. Several others look on.
“The Atlanta Public Schools Police Department is investigating a physical altercation that occurred at North Atlanta High School, allegedly involving two students and the parent of one of the students,” district spokesman Ian Smith told AJC.com in a statement. “The parent was inappropriately provided access to the building by the student.”
School police Chief Ron Applin told Channel 2 that the district has obtained three misdemeanor arrest warrants for Treon F. Ponder. She turned herself in Thursday evening, according to Fulton County Jail records.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Fulton County Sheriff's Office
She faces counts of battery, disrupting public school and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was granted a $4,000 bond, but remained in custody Thursday night.
“We’re not going to sit by and allow people to come into our school and do harm to threaten our students,” Applin said. “(If) you come into our schools, put your hands on any of our kids, put your hands on any of our faculty staff members, we intend to put you in jail.”
The district did not elaborate on how Ponder was able to get on campus. Gates told the news station she is most troubled that an adult had unauthorized access to her child at school.
“I was heartbroken. I’ve been crying all day,” Gates said. “To see that her safety is not assured at school is very scary to me."
Her attorney, Adamma McKinnon, said the 14-year-old’s injuries were caused by the parent. She has a black eye, scratches and bruises on one side of her face and the back of her head, she told the news station.
“That’s a severe concern, not only for my client Ms. Gates, but also other parents of students who attend North Atlanta High School,” she said.
Ponder’s attorney, Bruce Harvey, told Channel 2 that his client is not guilty.
The students involved could face discipline according to district policies, and Smith said “appropriate criminal charges” will be filed when the investigation is complete.
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“The safety and security of our students and staff is a top priority in Atlanta Public Schools,” he said in the statement.
