Mar 25, 2009 8:31 pm US/Eastern
Teacher Suspended For Student Screwdriver Assault
It's The Second Bizarre Incident Inside A Week At Bridgeport, Conn.'s Competitive Park City Magnet School
By JOSH LANDIS, CBS 2 HD News
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (CBS) ―
-
-
The Park City Magnet School in Bridgeport, Conn.
CBS
First a teacher was accused of forcing a student to eat from the garbage. Now, another teacher is in trouble at the same Connecticut school.
CBS 2 HD got reaction from parents.
"Things going on like this, you start to worry as a parent you know?" grandparent Mike Rodriguez said.
Science teacher Frank Rodriguez has been removed from his classroom after he allegedly struck an eighth grader who wouldn't stop talking to his friends.
"Apparently they continued in conversation when the teacher walked up behind them and tapped him on the head with a screwdriver," Bridgeport Police Det. Keith Bryant said.
That tap could cost the teacher his job. After the student complained he was taken to the hospital, treated for a minor injury and released.
Bridgeport School District officials had little to say beyond "the school is investigating the incident."
But to some, that's not good enough.
"A teacher should never touch a student at all, period. That's just that," Desiree Cameron said.
It's Park City Magnet School's second teacher controversy. Just last week another teacher was charged with risk of injury to a minor.
Anne O'Donnell is accused of making a kindergartener eat a banana he'd thrown into the trash. She could be sentenced to five years in prison.
Parents CBS 2 HD spoke two were divided.
"People are just overreacting. It was an incident. It happened. They're overreacting. These teachers are not doing any harm to these kids at all," grandparent Robin Younger said.
Some have heard enough.
"My grandson is out of here after this year. If I could pull him out earlier I will but I'll wait until the year's over and he's gone. I'm not bringing him back," Rodriguez said.
Students need good grades to stay in this magnet school. Administrators are considering the standards teachers must meet to stay here as well.
Rodriguez has been placed on administrative leave. O'Donnell is due in court next month.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
2009 Celebrity Deaths
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments