Substitute teacher accused of hitting, choking third-grade students | fox4kc.com
Substitute teacher accused of hitting, choking third-grade students | fox4kc.com
INDEPENDENCE, Mo – Parents in Independence say their third-graders were hit and choked by their substitute teacher on Friday.
Now their kids say they’re afraid to go back to school.
Officials with the Independence School District confirm that the
unidentified substitute was escorted from Spring Branch Elementary on
Friday after a 9-year-old ran from his class, saying he had been choked.
Officials would only add at that this is an ongoing investigation at
this point.
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.
Parents allege that a total of eight kids were attacked in the
classroom. Nichole Knowles’ son says there are marks on her son’s face.
“My son was speaking to another student and he swatted him in the face and told him to pay attention,” said Knowles.
After being choked, the 9 -year-old asked to go to the bathroom and ran to tell a teacher that, “he was hitting us all.”
The 3rd grader was taken to the hospital—and now his dad worries this is the only memory he’ll have.
“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.
The district says as soon as they found out the teacher was escorted off the property.
“We take our students safety very seriously. We’re taking these
allegations very seriously. We want to know what happened as well,” said
district spokesperson Jana Corrie.
But parents say that’s not enough. They want charges filed against
the teacher and say they won’t stop until he’s punished for his actions.
“This guy was a coward picking on little kids,” Tomnitz said.
“I wanna know for sure that I do my part to make sure this man never makes it into a classroom again,” Knowles said.
The district says the sub is not allowed on school property until the investigation is over.
INDEPENDENCE, Mo – Parents in Independence say their third-graders were hit and choked by their substitute teacher on Friday.
Now their kids say they’re afraid to go back to school.
Officials with the Independence School District confirm that the
unidentified substitute was escorted from Spring Branch Elementary on
Friday after a 9-year-old ran from his class, saying he had been choked.
Officials would only add at that this is an ongoing investigation at
this point.
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.
Parents allege that a total of eight kids were attacked in the
classroom. Nichole Knowles’ son says there are marks on her son’s face.
“My son was speaking to another student and he swatted him in the face and told him to pay attention,” said Knowles.
After being choked, the 9 -year-old asked to go to the bathroom and ran to tell a teacher that, “he was hitting us all.”
The 3rd grader was taken to the hospital—and now his dad worries this is the only memory he’ll have.
“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.
The district says as soon as they found out the teacher was escorted off the property.
“We take our students safety very seriously. We’re taking these
allegations very seriously. We want to know what happened as well,” said
district spokesperson Jana Corrie.
But parents say that’s not enough. They want charges filed against
the teacher and say they won’t stop until he’s punished for his actions.
“This guy was a coward picking on little kids,” Tomnitz said.
“I wanna know for sure that I do my part to make sure this man never makes it into a classroom again,” Knowles said.
The district says the sub is not allowed on school property until the investigation is over.
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