Wash High teacher suspended

A Washington High School teacher was suspended with pay while city police investigate whether he assaulted an eighth-grade student by slamming him to the floor during gym class Tuesday morning.
Rosylen Fedd said her 13-year-old son was “choke slammed” by the teacher, whose name is being withheld by the Observer-Reporter since he had not been charged with a crime as of late Wednesday afternoon.
She said her son was heading to yoga class shortly after 11 a.m. when another student tripped into him, pushing the student into the teacher and knocking his glasses off. Fedd said the teacher picked up her son, slammed him to the ground, put his arms on his neck and threatened to punch him.
The boy is still sore from the incident, Fedd said, although X-rays taken Wednesday were negative.
“We send our kids to school to be protected,” Fedd said. “We shouldn’t have to worry about this. I want something to be done. We have to be the voice for our children.”
Washington Superintendent Roberta DiLorenzo said school officials immediately interviewed both students and the teacher following the incident and the term “choke slammed” was never used by either side at the time. She said the teacher pulled the student to the ground as he was falling.
“The teacher took a hard hit and his glasses flew off,” DiLorenzo said. “He grabbed the kid on the way down and had a hold of the kid and said, ‘Who do you think you’re messing with?’ He thought it was on purpose.”
DiLorenzo said the teacher picked up the student, and they went to the school office to report the situation. The student and teacher were both evaluated for injuries by the school nurse.
“There were no disparities,” DiLorenzo said about the initial account of the incident. “Because of the teacher’s reaction, we followed procedure and are doing an internal investigation.
Washington police Chief Chris Luppino confirmed Fedd’s account of the situation, but said he could not comment on the case because the matter remains under investigation.
He said officers are reviewing the information and expect to work with the Washington County district attorney’s office to determine if charges should be filed.
“The investigating officer will sit down with the DA and go over the case with them to see what charges, if any, they recommend,” Luppino said.
The teacher was escorted from the school Tuesday afternoon and was suspended with pay pending the result of city police’s investigation and an internal review by the school district, Luppino said.