School Board Fires Woodland Hills Employee Accused Of Assaulting Teen

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A Woodland Hills School District employee, who was caught on camera grabbing a student, has been fired.

The Woodland Hills school district first suspended Joseph Golden following the April 12 incident at the Rankin school. He was later charged by police with simple assault and endangering the welfare of children.

The video shows Joseph Golden grabbing the 13-year-old student and carrying him down the hallway.

It happened in the Woodland Hills Promise School in Rankin.

According to the Woodland Hills superintendent Alan Johnson, Joseph Golden worked with students who had behavior problems.

The 50-year-old claimed he did nothing wrong.

Last month, Golden's attorney said Golden lifted the boy by his chin, not his neck.

At its meeting last night, the Woodland Hills school board began the procedure to fire Golden.

Superintendent Johnson said last month, lifting a student off the ground by the neck is not an approved restraint method.

Golden's formal arraignment on the charges is scheduled for next month.

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