Parents Awaiting Charges For Sub Teacher Who Allegedly Hit, Choked Their 3rd Graders
Sometimes stories in the news about teachers behaving badly are so horrifying and despicable it’s hard to believe you’re not reading something from The Onion. This is definitely one of those instances. WDAF-TV reports a group of Missouri parents are enraged after they say their children were physically assaulted by a substitute teacher on Friday.
The sub, whose name hasn’t been released at the time of this writing, allegedly hit, pushed, and even choked third grade students at Spring Branch Elementary School as a form of discipline for breaking classroom rules. His actions only came to the attention of the school principal after one 9-year-old student asked to go to the bathroom and then ran to the school office to tell someone what was going on.
FOX 4 talked to the 9 year old on Saturday. He says the substitute started attacking him as he was taking a spelling quiz.
”It was hurting me,” said the visibly shaken third grader, whose identity is being kept private. ”He hit me with a piece of paper, then with his hand then with his fist. Right after that he choked me.”
The boy says he started crying and the substitute finally let go.
As if that weren’t already heinous enough, it was also the boy’s birthday. Now his parents are scared he’ll always associate his ninth birthday with the memory of this terrible incident.
”It makes me sad, mad, all the above. He’s gonna have to remember his ninth birthday the rest of his life”¦that he was beat at school by my teacher then I spent the day at the hospital,” parent Travis Tomnitz said.
A total of eight students were allegedly attacked, and the school escorted the substitute off of school grounds as soon as they became aware of what was going on. They say they’re launching a full investigation and that the substitute teacher is not allowed back on school property until it’s completed, but won’t comment beyond that.
Outraged parents say that’s not good enough. They want charges filed immediately and won’t stop until the sub is punished for his actions. Honestly, who could blame them? Some of the kids have visible marks on them and have told their parents they’re afraid to go back to school. If it really went down the way those kids say it did, this needs more than a brief school investigation. A substitute that hits and chokes little kids shouldn’t be allowed back in the classroom ever again.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
