A video taken by a cellphone captured a female high school student, aged 16, beating a 65-year-old St. Louis teacher in the hallway on Wednesday. The crowd was circling them hooting and hollering.
KSDK-TV reported that the video shows the student dragging a female science teacher at Normandy High School on the floor. The teacher was reportedly trying to restrain her as the student punched and kicked her.
Stanton, the significant other of the teacher, told the station that the teacher had informed police that the student had left class to retrieve her book bag and then returned. Stanton, the teacher’s significant other, told KSDK that when the teacher asked the student to hold on, the student shoved past her, grabbed the book bag, and assaulted the teacher.
According to the station, the teacher was hospitalized following the altercation. Family members said that the teacher was in pain, but expected to be okay.
“She’s pretty badly bruised… Stanton said, “I’m at my desk and I receive this video… She was circled up.”
KSDK-TV reported that the video shows the student dragging a female science teacher at Normandy High School on the floor. The teacher was reportedly trying to restrain her as the student punched and kicked her.
Stanton, the significant other of the teacher, told the station that the teacher had informed police that the student had left class to retrieve her book bag and then returned. Stanton, the teacher’s significant other, told KSDK that when the teacher asked the student to hold on, the student shoved past her, grabbed the book bag, and assaulted the teacher.
According to the station, the teacher was hospitalized following the altercation. Family members said that the teacher is in discomfort but should be okay.
“She’s pretty badly bruised… Stanton said, “I’m at my desk and I receive this video… She was circled up.”
Normandy Schools released the following statement. The station reported:
“The district is investigating an incident that happened this morning, involving a confrontation between two students and a teacher. The district is treating this issue seriously and fully cooperating with local law enforcement. We have also launched an internal investigation to collect all of the facts about the incident. Based on the results, appropriate action will be taken. Normandy Schools Collaborative is committed to the safety and well-being of our students and employees. Our primary goal is to create a nurturing and safe environment for both students and teachers to learn.
Ian Buchanan, a former Normandy Schools Principal and education consultant, told KSDK that teaching is “one of the hardest jobs in the entire world”.
The station asked Buchanan: “What is a teacher? What if a hypothetical student swings wildly at you? What is the best response?
Buchanan responded, “There are many techniques that teachers have been taught to use and implement. First, I would say to not react defensively. I wouldn’t like it to become an “eye for an eye” or a “tit for a tattoo”. Teachers are also human beings, in case you did not know. We can discuss all the theories about what’s supposed to happen but, when faced with these situations, we don’t know what will happen.
