Student Says Teacher Hit Him With Chair

A 12-year-old boy was allegedly hit by teacher, who wielded a chair, in the Bronx. WABC 7 reports that police arrested Kevin Martin, a teacher at Aspire Preparatory Middle School, for reckless endangerment. According to student Joseph Santiago, Martin "was about two feet away from me and he threw it. As he threw it, one of the legs hit me." Santiago was taken to the hospital and suffered bruises; his mother was outraged, "He ended up black and blue. Regardless of anything, I understand that you are angry, but throwing furniture around is not going to help." The teacher's union says that Martin didn't mean to hit Santiago; per WABC 7, "The teacher slammed the chair on the floor and it bounced, hitting the student." In the meantime, Martin is now assigned to administrative duties.

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By Jen Chung in News on December 20, 2008 5:19 PM

Comments [rss]

grantrules

What's that picture even of? A bruise? Big deal. A teacher probably shouldn't be throwing chairs, but this seems ridiculous. The hospital, really?

Barbj8

As a teacher,I've never hit a student, but as a student, I was spanked by a teacher, with a paddle, in front of my grade seven class. And I'm not even that fucked up.

markedman

The Onion link is hillarious, even more so for me as a TFA alum. However, I taught for 3 years in one of the worst schools in the city, loved it and loved the kids (hated the administration and teachers' union) and continue to work in schools. i've never come close to bruising a student, and i don't care - regardless of what a 12 year old does in a classroom, as an adult and a teacher show some self-control and be a model for how to respond to frustration.

WestVillageVintage

@berniegoetz

HA! The Onion link is hilarious. The whole premise is comical.

berniegoetz

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30911

berniegoetz

He's probably yet another Teach For America victim (the teacher, not the student.)

NannyState

"Those fucking animals belong in the zoo."

JacqueMehoff

Santiago = guilty.

so1337

Im sure he had it coming

nivek

Can I throw a chair at that kid too?

values_hehe

The entire system is set up so that teachers have no way to teach. As a teacher just starting at a middle school in the Bronx, despite all your best intentions, after five minutes in some classes slamming a chair on the ground is the kindest thing you can think of to do at times. For whatever reason, some kids simply do not respond to reasoned argument, positive reinforcement like candy, threats to their grade, or calling up parents. You try to survive for more than a week in one these schools before judging.

whitecastlerock

The teacher was arrested? Wow. When I went to school the nuns would routinely beat kids for poor penmanship...

rcltrh

Great. How many millions will this cost the city - both in the lawsuit as well as the next 5 years of this teacher getting to sit in the "rubber room" drawing full salary. There goes the city budget again. damn.