A shocking video shows a Milwaukee student punching his teacher in the face, knocking him to the ground, and then repeatedly striking him as other students look on. You can watch the video, recorded by another student on a cell phone, above.
The student was arrested by Milwaukee Police and prosecutors are weighing what charges will be filed against him. Neither the student nor the teacher have been named publicly. The incident occurred at South Division High School in the Wisconsin city on Tuesday, just a week into the school year, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Students told local news stations that the teacher is popular, well-liked and well-known around the school.
The 30-second video was first posted to Facebook on Tuesday by Javale Nash and has been seen by thousands online. It shows the teacher and the student standing and talking, and the teacher then walking away from the pupil.
After a few more seconds of talking, the student shoves the teacher in the chest and then suddenly throws a punch with his right hand, striking the teacher across the face. The teacher is knocked to the ground by the punch and the student continues to strike him, throwing several more punches before standing over the teacher and saying something that cannot be understood.
The school district told the Journal Sentinel that students who violate the code of conduct could face disciplinary action, which includes expulsion, but officials declined to comment further on the specific incident, saying an internal investigation has been launched.
The Milwaukee Police Department told the newspaper that the teacher suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the attack and was punched in the head several times by the 16-year-old student, who was arrested at school. The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office is now reviewing the case and the student could be charged with battery to a school district official, police said.
“MPS is cooperating with the Milwaukee Police Department to investigate a situation that occurred today at 1515 W Lapham Blvd. Due to this being an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further,” the school district said in a statement.
Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan issued a statement saying, “Violence at MPS is a great concern to the community. Actions like this need criminal charges to send a message, and hold the student responsible for their reckless and dangerous behavior. I applaud the many great teachers and students at MPS, however, there is a segment of students who choose to behave inappropriately and criminally, which robs other students and teachers of an opportunity to build a safe learning environment.”
Another alderman, Terry Witkowski, said in a lengthy statement, “The brutal assault of a teacher by a student yesterday at South Division High School is shocking and disturbing. The assault – captured on video and aired widely across TV news and social media – should result in nothing less than expulsion and criminal charges for the student, in my opinion. The public should watch with care how the court system handles another case of juveniles who have no respect for authority or the law, and who appear not to be learning the lessons of civil behavior at home. I condemn this violent attack – and the reckless disregard for human life it shows – in the strongest terms possible.”
Witkowski continued, “Sadly, the violence captured on the video did not just germinate out of thin air – it was behavior likely learned, seen and experienced close to home. Parents need to do a better job of emphasizing the critical importance of education and of instilling the moral code of conduct at home. And in that code violence must NEVER be seen as acceptable or no big deal.”
