Pastor Reggie Hilts Backlash: Police Officer Who Arrested Teacher Deyshia Hargrave Gets Calls For Firing
The viral video of 2016 “Teacher of the Year” Deyshia Hargrave getting arrested for asking about a superintendent’s $38,000 raise has received more than 1.5 million views on YouTube and has brought attention to the school resource officer who arrested her: Reggie Hilts. As reported by Heavy, Reggie is still being supported by those who employ him in the wake of the arrest of the 32-year-old Louisiana teacher, bringing loads of controversy on social media.
Hilts, 33, works for the Abbeville City Marhsal’s office and is also employed by the school board. However, Reggie’s interaction with the Vermilion Parish teacher who is Hargrave has put a spotlight on Hilts. The school board requested Reggie’s presence at what was expected to be a contentious meeting. Whereas School Board President Anthony Fontana blamed Hargrave for “interrupting the board meeting” and praised Reggie for acting properly, others on social media are disagreeing, as seen in the below Twitter Moment about the controversial incident.
Thus far, Reggie has not made a public statement about the incident. Hilts does have a history as a police officer that has come under questioning, having worked for the Breaux Bridge Police Department for one year from 2010 to 2011 and also as an officer in Scott, Louisiana. Hilts was the subject of a lawsuit that accused Reggie of employing excessive force in 2011.
Reggie Hilts, the police officer who arrested Louisiana teacher Deyshia Hargrave, was sued in 2012 when a 62-year-old man said Hilts slammed him face-first into concrete during a "false arrest" https://t.co/5JW3xrPu9j pic.twitter.com/ZE5sXqVqqw
— Heavy Sports (@HeavyOnSports) January 10, 2018
Hilts was accused of slamming a man’s head on a concrete slab, which allegedly caused a cut on the man’s head and required six staples. In 2016, the case was dismissed. Reggie is also a pastor, according to the Sanctuary of Worship website, with Hilts appearing in YouTube videos like those below.
Update: The videos have been removed.
Hilts hails from Duson, Louisiana.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTUevTVh7NA
However, Pastor Reggie is receiving a plethora of varying comments on social media, with some people supporting his actions and others criticizing Hilts after Hargrave accused Reggie of pushing her to the ground during the controversial arrest.
Calls for Hilts to be fired are joining comments on Twitter that slam Reggie for allegedly pushing a shorter woman to the ground. Other folks are defending Hilts’ actions and claiming that the video footage doesn’t show exactly what happened when Reggie put the cuffs on the teacher.
Deyshia is being praised as a hero by social media supporters who write that Hargrave was sticking up for the rights of teachers who should get pay raises. Hilts can also be heard in the video threatening to arrest a different person for intimidation.
