California teacher arrested after being filmed punching 14-year-old in front of class

Teen reportedly yelled racial slurs at black music teacher

Adam Forrest
Monday 05 November 2018 16:53 GMT
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Teacher arrested after video captures him punching student in classroom

A Los Angeles secondary school teacher has been arrested and charged with child abuse after he was filmed repeatedly punching a student in front of his class.

Video footage shows Marston Riley, a 64-year-old music teacher at Maywood Academy High School, throwing the first punch at a 14-year-old boy before the pair begin brawling across the classroom.

The teacher is then seen hitting the student with what appears to be a phone and does not stop even when the boy falls to the ground.

Music students said the violence began after Mr Riley asked the boy to leave band class because he was wearing inappropriate uniform, only for the student to refuse.

“It was just back and forth, back and forth, and then the teacher just decided to throw a punch and that’s when everything happened,” one student told CBS Los Angeles.

Another said: “I was scared for the kid, and partly for the teacher too.”

According to the network, the white student could be heard shouting racial slurs at the black teacher before the punching began.

The teenager was taken to hospital and treated for moderate injuries, according to the Los Angeles county sheriff’s department.

Mr Riley was arrested on charges of child abuse before being released on bail, according to NBC News.

The city’s school board said extra school police officers and counsellors would be on hand at the academy this week.

“We are extremely disturbed by the reports of the events that occurred at Maywood Academy High School,” said the Los Angeles Unified School District.

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“We take this matter very seriously and do not condone violence or intolerance of any kind. Los Angeles Unified is cooperating with law enforcement in investigating this incident.

“Crisis counsellors and additional school police patrols will be at the school on Monday to support our students and staff.”

Some supporters of Mr Riley have started a GoFundMe page to help with his legal fees, claiming he has been previously been “attacked verbally or physically” at the school.

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