Former Indianapolis teacher Julious Johnican, 25, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to orchestrating and recording assaults between pupils in his classroom. The case centres on footage reportedly showing a seven-year-old boy being attacked while Johnican encouraged the incident, prompting criminal proceedings and a civil lawsuit against the school district and staff.

The child’s family alleges the attacks occurred over about three months and that Johnican sometimes restrained the boy while other pupils hit him. The boy had disabilities and had repeatedly told his mother he was being mistreated; Johnican was arrested on 31 May and sentenced on 24 September under a plea agreement, receiving credit for one day already served.