Rocky Mount substitute teacher sheds light on fight with student

A substitute teacher who was the focus of a viral video that showed her fighting with a juvenile student at Rocky Mount High School is sharing her side of the story.

In a Facebook Live from Wednesday night, Xaviera Steele gave her account of what happened on Monday. The altercation stemmed from an argument over confiscating the student's cell phone.

"In all my 22 years, never have I ever experienced what I experienced this Monday," Steele said. "I've never been attacked by young folks. I love young people. This is why I work with them. I have a heart for them. That young lady attacked me and she went for blood."

Just more than 72 hours removed from the ordeal, Steele said she's dealt with threats and has decided to leave the profession after 20 years. Steele had been with Nash County Public School System for approximately a year.

She talked about incidents that other teachers have experienced and how many teachers are leaving the field. Some of Steele's hair was pulled out in the scuffle.

"As much as I love the kids, I cannot put my life or my livelihood in danger anymore," Steele said.

Steele and the student were charged with simple assault. Steele was released from custody under a written promise to appear in court.

Steele was insistent that she followed protocol and the student approached her space behind the teacher's desk and initiated contact as she was trying to call an administrator. Steele appeared to be on top of the student for several seconds, calling for someone to get another teacher.

According to Nash County Public Schools, the incident occurred between the end of the first period and the start of the Connections Intervention period.

A GoFundMe page had raised more than $5,000 in support of Steele as of Thursday afternoon.

There were more than 24,000 comments on the video, which was publicly available on Facebook.