ROCKWELL —A 10-year-old boy attacked an assistant principal at Rockwell Elementary School after throwing a desk and breaking a phone Wednesday.

A Rowan deputy sheriff had to handcuff the boy and remove him from the school after the attack on Assistant Principal Pamela K. Crowell.

When Rowan Deputy Sheriff J.L. Ewart arrived at the scene around 2 p.m., he found the boy in the corner of a classroom, refusing to speak to anyone.

Ewart attempted to talk with the youngster, but he repeatedly refused. Ewart said the boy then began hitting him.

At that point, Ewart restrained him with handcuffs and took him to the sheriff’s satellite station in Rockwell.

School officials told Ewart that the boy was having difficulty with a map problem, when he turned violent, tearing things off the wall, throwing and knocking things around in the classroom.

Crowell tried to calm the student but he turned on her, striking her repeatedly with his hands.

School officials called 911 when he attacked the assistant principal.

A spokesman for the sheriff’s department said this is at least the third incident this school year where a student has attacked a teacher or other official.

Crowell was not injured, according to the Sheriff’s Department report.

The juvenile was initially turned over to a juvenile service officer. He was later released to the Nazareth Children’s Home, where he is a resident.

Charges will be referred to juvenile court. Damage was listed at $40, the cost of a broken wall phone.