'Get off him!' Veteran principal who tackled a student to the ground to break up a schoolyard brawl is accused of assault and stood down

  • Video has been released of a principal tackling a student to the ground in Perth
  • It's believed the principal was intervening in a fight between students 
  • He pinned the student down as others gathered and yelled at him to get off boy
  • The boy then jumped up and raises his fist to the principal as students watch on
  • Principal was stood down pending an investigation by Education Department 

By Alana Mazzoni For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

A deputy school principal who tackled a student to the ground before being circled by other pupils with their fists up has been stood down over allegations of assault. 

Associate principal Grant Walton was stood down from Perth's Eaton Community College following the incident in March, and an investigation by the Education Department was underway.

It's understood Mr Walton was trying to break up a brawl between current and former students on the school's oval.

Dramatic footage showed Mr Walton kneeing a student in the back to bring him to the ground, keeping his body weight on the boy's back as other students surrounded him.

'Get off him! Get off him!' students shouted at Mr Walton, before he stood up and released the boy.

The student then started swinging his arms at the principal while getting off the ground.

The video cut out briefly before showing the boy square up with his fists raised to Mr Walton, who shouted at him to 'get lost' and 'go away'.

Mr Walton had worked at the school, near Bunbury, for 15 years.  

Last week, the Department of Education confirmed Mr Walton was under  investigation for allegedly physically assaulting a student.  

The schoolyard brawl was reported to police by a parent, but Bunbury Detectives cleared Mr Walton of any charges after investigating the incident.

Associate principal Grant Walton (pictured) was stood down from Eaton Community College following the incident in March. Police investigated but laid no charges

Associate principal Grant Walton (pictured) was stood down from Perth's Eaton Community College following the incident in March

Kylie, the mother of the boy who was brought to the ground in the confronting footage, claimed her son was wrongly targeted.

'(He was) grabbed from behind... for basically no reason,' she told The West. 

'He did turn around and tell the teacher involved to 'F... off' and walked away, that's when it happened,' she claimed.

'As my son was walking off, the teacher involved came up behind him and kicked him, kicked his leg out from under him and threw him to the ground pretty much, and jumped on top of him.'

She said she had written a complaint to police after they cleared Mr Walton of any wrongdoing in the altercation.  

State School Teachers Union president Pat Byrne told the South Western Times that staff were encouraged to avoid any physical contact with brawling students. 

'What they are required to do is do what they can to get help and issue verbal instructions to stop the fight,' she said. 

Ms Byrne said the sequence of events that led up to the video footage being filmed needed to be established before a judgement could be made. 

More than 300 locals and parents of students had taken to Facebook to defend Mr Walton's actions, saying he's the 'heart and soul' of Eaton Community College. 

The video cuts out briefly before showing the boy square up with his fists raised to Walton, who shouts at him to 'get lost' and 'go away'

The video cuts out briefly before showing the boy square up with his fists raised to Walton, who shouts at him to 'get lost' and 'go away'  

'Mr Walton has given everything to that school and the community. Behind him all the way as an ex student,' one comment read.

'This man is outstanding as an educator and principal!!! If he had to intervene it would be to save a child's life and for the safety of the other students. This is a huge mistake and mis justice (sic),' another read.

'Nothing but praise for Grant Walton he always has the kids best interest in mind. Hopefully he can return to his position as soon as possible.' 

'As a parent of a child in ECC I stand behind Mr Walton. His actions are just protecting children. So with this rule does that mean if a student is bashing another student they will just let it play out?' another woman said.       

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Principal tackles student to the ground to break up a schoolyard brawl

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