Teacher would rather be redeployed to Iraq than return to teaching at school for students with behavioral issues

Justin Bullock was deployed to Iraq in 2009, and was preparing to begin training to become a drill sergeant. According to KFVS12, Bullock has suffered multiple injuries while teaching at Liberty Hill Academy which now put those future prospects in jeopardy.

"I have a lot of trauma now," Bullock said.

"I doubt that I will probably step my foot back inside a school in general for a very long time. I am terrified . . . I don't want to get beaten anymore," Bullock said. "I don't want to get sexually harassed any more. I don't want to fear for my life."

Bullock worked at Liberty Hill Academy, a school for students with special needs and behavioral issues. While teachers and staff are given extra training to deal with the extra challenges these students may pose, and Bullock had taught at other alternative schools, he says they are very unprepared to deal with some of these students.

Last month, Bullock reportedly had tried to break up a fight between two students when he was punched in the back of the head multiple times.

He continued to work, but went to the hospital the next day where a brain scan revealed that he had a neck strain and was recovering from a concussion.

"By that Saturday, I was having major anxiety just like rethinking everything because I was also beaten in the back of my head in February 2021 by a student," Bullock said. "I was also sexually harassed by a student who was also putting his hands on me and it took the school two and a half months to get him out of my classroom."

KFVS12 said Bullock was also diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Bullock's husband, Caleb Ferrell, says he doesn't want Bullock returning to the school. "Honestly, I get terrified sometimes. He wakes up at night and has a hard time sleeping. It's honestly heartbreaking," Ferrell said. "Sometimes I am afraid that he’s not going to come home after work."

Bullock is just one of a number of Liberty Hill staff members that have been assaulted by students.

On March 31, two staff members breaking up a fight were injured. In December, former employee Vera Gordon filed a lawsuit alleging constant abuse from 2016, until she left in 2020.

Her lawsuit says female staff members were "being punched in their face by students, headbutted, drugged [sic] by their hair, having trash cans slammed over their head, knocked unconscious, subjected to frequent racial and sexual slurs."

She said these instances led to a state of heightened anxiety and fear while at work.

In March, the North Charleston Police Department were called to the school 14 times.

On Friday, yet another fight was reported at the school, though the district declined to say whether any injuries were sustained.

If given the choice between returning to the classroom and being redeployed, Bullock said he'd take deployment.

"Iraq a million times over," Bullock said. "Because at least I know that my chain of command has my back."

According to KFVS12, Bullock will meet with his commanding officer next week to see if he is still mentally fit for service.