Florida teacher beaten to a pulp by 6’6 270-pound student over Nintendo Switch says he SPAT on her while calling her a ‘b**ch’ and a ‘w**re’

A Florida teacher who was knocked unconscious by a student over a video game console has revealed he spat on her while insulting her during the vicious attack.

Joan Naydich, 59, was waylaid in February by 17-year-old Brendan Depa, who towered over her at 6 feet tall and weighed almost 270 pounds.

Depa allegedly spat at her and called her a ‘bitch’ and a ‘w***e’ after she told another staff member that his Nintendo Switch was distracting other students.

The teen pleaded no contest to an aggravated battery charge. He is awaiting sentencing at the end of this month for the brutal attack that left Naydich with five broken ribs, a concussion and hearing loss.

The mother-of-two said the attack made her a ‘completely different person’, adding: ‘My whole life turned upside down.’

Brendan Depa, 18, attacked the teacher’s assistant after she told his primary school teacher he was distracting other students with his Nintendo Switch

Surveillance footage shows the hulking teen throwing punches and kicks at Naydich, knocking her to the ground. He then hits her at least a dozen times in the head and back as she lies motionless.

Originally from Rhode Island, Naydich moved to Palm Coast, Florida, in 2003 and worked in the Flagler County School District.

She was assigned to the Matanzas High School cafeteria for nearly two decades before obtaining the certifications she needed to become a classroom assistant.

Her first meeting with Depa took place in January 2022. The autistic teen was in a special education classroom where Naydich worked with the elementary school teacher.

She learned that Depa had been adopted as a young child before being sent to a group home and became acutely aware that he was in trouble.

“He would try to intimidate,” she told the New York Post. ‘But during that school year it never got to the point where he became violent. It was just verbal.”

She discovered that Depa was especially fond of video games and was sensitive to criticism of his performance in class, often accusing her of “spying” on his school file.

On the day of the attack, the teen was irritated because he had to wait for other students to arrive before going to the cafeteria for breakfast. He told Naydich that he had not received any food the night before.

While the autistic teen tried to ‘intimidate’, Naydich never suspected he would act violently towards her

Surveillance footage shows the 6ft tall teen slamming Naydich to the ground in his special needs classroom before getting down on his knees and punching her in the head and back

The 59-year-old met Depa in January 2022 when she started assisting his primary school teacher. She learned he was adopted as a young child before being sent to a group home

The Rhode Island native, pictured with her two children, moved to Palm Coast starting in 2003 and worked in the Flagler County School District.

After dinner, Depa went to his regular special education class, where his head teacher generally allowed him to use his Nintendo Switch when he finished his work.

Naydich took him to his next class, where there was a substitute. Depa took out his gaming console, distracting some other students and prompting her to demand that he put it away.

The teen obliged, but bought it again towards the end of the period.

Naydich then texted his primary school teacher and told her that it would be wise for Depa not to bring the console into the same classroom in the future.

When she returned to his regular classroom, Depa realized that Naydich had informed the teacher about what happened in the previous class when she raised the issue and became irate.

“Then he started swearing at me,” Naydich said. ‘Female dog. Whore. This and that.’

She grabbed her backpack and sweatshirt to prepare to leave the room as “the energy changed in there.”

Depa spat in her face as she walked to the door. When she turned to open the door, he knocked her unconscious.

In February 2023, Naydich told Depa’s lead instructor that his Nintendo Switch was distracting students in another class

When the teacher confronted him, Depa became furious and started calling Naydich a ‘b***h’ and a ‘w***e’.

As Naydich grabbed her things and walked to the door to remove herself from the situation, Depa spat on her before knocking her unconscious.

Nearly a year later, she suffers from hearing loss, delayed speech and delayed cognitive functioning. The attack left her with several broken ribs and a severe concussion

Nearly a year later, she still bears physical and mental scars from the attack. Her speech is delayed and she often has difficulty with routine cognitive functions.

Doctors are trying to diagnose some of her symptoms.

“Unfortunately, I will carry a large portion of my injuries, which are not visible, for the rest of my life,” Naydich explained.

“I have no idea what the closure looks like at this point. I just want to be whole again.”

She said of her attacker: “I want to make sure he doesn’t walk the streets freely.”

Depa faces a prison sentence of up to thirty years. His sentencing is scheduled for January 31.