In a shocking incident, a staff member at Umoja International Academy attempted to break up a possible fight on Sept. 21 and instead used violence twice against an eighth-grade student.

Da’monik Millan has worked at Umoja since 2022. He has coached sports teams, been in charge of the “calming room” (a quiet area for kids to work and relax), and interacts daily with students.

“I thought he was cool,” said Dakota Stobbe-Buelow, a senior at Umoja. “We dapped each other up often.” Dapping up is a form of greeting that involves a fistbump, handshake or both.

Such interactions with students contrast sharply with Millan’s conduct during the Sept. 21 incident. 

“I was surprised and never would have expected that event to occur,” Stobbe-Buelow said.

In a  video, filmed by a student at Umoja and provided to SacSchoolBeat, Millan is seen pushing the student twice. What led to the confrontation is not yet clear. Millan is heard telling the student to “move” and when the student doesn’t, Millan pushes the student to the ground.

In a statement, the Sacramento City Unified School District said it is “investigating an incident at Umoja International Academy in which a staff member is alleged to have made inappropriate contact with a student. The staff member was immediately placed on leave, which is standard procedure for an investigation of this nature.”

The statement added, “SCUSD treats all matters involving student and staff safety with the utmost importance and will take appropriate action at the conclusion of the investigation. District student support staff have reached out to the student involved and their family to provide any assistance that is needed.”