A DeKalb County second-grade teacher is behind bars Friday night after being accused of punching a high school student in the head, authorities said.

Tomica Owens was charged with criminal trespass and simple battery after going to McNair High School with her adult daughter to pick a fight, according to arrest warrants obtained by Channel 2 Action News.

On Thursday, Owens and her daughter went to the school after “their juvenile relative called them to come and help him fight,” the warrants said. AJC.com is not naming Owens daughter since she has not been charged.

The fight took place outside the school’s gym, but it’s unclear what events led up the fight or how long it lasted. It’s also unknown how many people were involved in the fight.

The DeKalb County School District confirmed to Channel 2 that Owens is a teacher at Idlewood Elementary School. She has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the investigation.

“DCSD Police reacted swiftly and the DCSD teacher was arrested ... All reports of employee misconduct are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly to ensure student and staff safety,” the district’s statement said, in part.

As of Friday night, Owens remained in the DeKalb jail without bond, jail records show.

About the Author

Featured

In 2022, Georgia Power projected its winter peak electricity demand would grow by about 400 megawatts by 2031. Since then, Georgia has experienced a boom of data centers, which require a large load of electricty to run, and Georgia Power's recent forecast shows peak demand growing by 20 times the 400-megawatt estimate from just three years ago. (Illustration by Philip Robibero/AJC)

Credit: Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC