By Natasha Brown
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Police are investigating an attack on a substitute teacher at a high school in Southwest Philadelphia.
A substitute teacher at Bartram High School lays motionless in the hallway after allegedly being thrown to the ground by a student, slamming his head on the floor. Police say the Thursday afternoon attack began with a verbal altercation between the 18-year-old student and the teacher inside a classroom.
“The 18-year-old student walks into the classroom, he’s not supposed to be in there, the teacher confronts him, tells him he has to leave. They have an exchange of words in the classroom, the student’s refusing to leave,” said Philadelphia Police Lt. John Walker.
“As he goes to re-enter his classroom to talk to the student again to try to get him out of class the student pushes him,” said Walker.
When the two see each other in the hallway at the end of the school day, officers say things escalated into a much more violent exchange.
“They again have a verbal confrontation. The student grabs him from his neck, throws him to the ground where he goes unconscious for a moment,” said Walker.
No answer at the teacher’s Southwest Philadelphia home Friday night.
Eyewitness News is told he was treated and released at the hospital.
The incident rattles Councilman Kenyatta Johnson who has been hitting the streets of Southwest Philadelphia instituting programs meant to curb youth violence and provide positive alternatives.
“No forms of violence, especially against teachers, should be tolerated and so we want to make sure that teachers are safe, all young people are safe and most importantly, that there’s a zero tolerance policy toward any type of violence against any teachers,” Johnson said.
The student has been suspended and is facing expulsion. In the meantime, he could also be facing some very serious charges including aggravated and simple assault.
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