Elementary school teacher punched Sam’s Club shopper in the face for wanting to buy 2 rotisserie chickens, cops say
Posted For: Hauviette
A 42-year-old North Carolina teacher has been arrested for allegedly attacking another woman at a South Carolina Sam’s Club on Valentine’s Day, reportedly using a racial slur and punching the victim in front of witnesses.
Ashley Murff, a teacher at Winget Park Elementary School in southwest Charlotte, was taken into custody this week and charged with third-degree assault and battery, according to court records. She is employed by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a possible assault at the Sam’s Club on Fashion Drive around 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14, local CBS affiliate WBTV reported. Authorities said one of the individuals involved had used a racial slur.
According to the victim, she was waiting in line for a rotisserie chicken when Murff allegedly made the racial comment, sparking a verbal argument. The situation escalated when the victim attempted to take a photo of Murff, at which point she allegedly punched the victim in the face, Greenville NBC affiliate WYFF reported. Bystanders separated the two women.
Murff reportedly left the store before authorities arrived, but deputies later identified her using surveillance footage and obtained an arrest warrant.
T’Nae Parker, a friend of the victim, told Columbia-based Fox affiliate WACH that the victim had picked up an extra chicken for an elderly woman who could not wait in line. Parker said Murff became angry and used a racial slur toward her friend.
Parker criticized the incident as damaging to Murff’s reputation as a teacher. “The situation highlights why it matters what people believe in, the biases that they carry,” she said. “Those beliefs don’t just exist in private. They show up in classrooms.”
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools announced that Murff has been suspended with pay pending an investigation.
Murff was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on Wednesday morning. Her next court appearance has not been announced.
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