Thomas was arrested in December on felony child abuse charges, The Beaumont Enterprise reported.
The charges stem from a November incident in which Thomas was called to her 7-year-old son's school because the boy allegedly had threatened his teacher. Thomas, a single mother of five children, was on her way to a job interview when she received the call from her son's school, KFDM reported.
In the video, which went viral, Thomas can be seen dragging her son out of the cafeteria, yelling profanities at him and whipping him with a belt. The boy cries throughout the ordeal. Thomas makes the boy apologize to his teacher before she leaves campus.
WARNING: Some may find the below video disturbing. Viewer discretion advised.
"I swear I had good intentions. I was wrong," Thomas told KRIV in an interview this week.
At a court hearing, Thomas explained her actions: "I have to be my son's mom, his father. What you saw that day was me being his father." She told the judge she'd rather confront her son now than for him to end up another "black man dead on the streets," KFDM reported.
Thomas' four minor children were placed in Child Protective Services, KRIV reported. CPS told the court that the agency is willing to work with Thomas in order to establish a safe environment for the return of her children, KFDM reported.
Thomas is facing a third-degree felony charge of injury to a child, which carries a maximum punishment of 2 to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, the Beaumont Enterprise reported.
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