"Deeply disturbing:" Teacher's aide at Bay View H.S. arrested after incident with student
MILWAUKEE -- A teacher's aide from Bay View High School was arrested after an incident in a classroom that was captured on camera.
The video, which was shared with the FOX6 News Facebook page on Wednesday, April 20th, shows a physical altercation between a 39-year-old teacher's aide and a 14-year-old student at Bay View High School. It shows the teacher's aide push the student into a desk, and then hold him down on the floor. The teacher can be heard leveling expletives at the student during the entire incident, which happened shortly before 11:00 a.m. Students tell FOX6 News it happened during a freshman biology class.
CLICK HERE for update on story -- teacher's aide fired, faces assault charge
"I was just watching it like 'this is unreal. I cannot believe this,'" Jacquan-Anthony Wilder, a student at Bay View High School said.
"The student was cussing at him and everything and he was like 'come on -- let's go in the hallway,'" Angel Quiles, a student at Bay View High School said.
"They kept on arguing and getting into each other's faces," Wilder said.
"First he pushed him, then he slammed him on the floor and was holding him down," Quiles said.
Students told FOX6 News security came into the classroom and broke up the fight.
"It was actually kind of scary. Like, I cannot believe this is happening," Wilder said.
The teacher's aide was arrested for physical abuse of a child. The student was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
FOX6 News showed the video to the grandmother of a Bay View High School student who watched in disbelief.
"I'm saddened by it. I'm saddened these things keep going on in schools," Candice Zielinski said.
The investigation is ongoing and when it is complete, the case will be presented to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
Tony Tagliavia, a spokesperson for Milwaukee Public Schools, issued the following statement in relation to this incident:
"MPS finds this incident deeply disturbing. As soon as the school administration was notified of the incident, the Milwaukee Police Department was contacted and the staff member was removed from the classroom. We are cooperating with MPD. This staff member – who is a paraprofessional (teacher aide) – faces disciplinary action, including termination."
Congresswoman Gwen Moore has issued this statement to FOX6 News:
“As a parent and grandparent, I was deeply disturbed by a video that recently emerged of a student allegedly being assaulted by a teacher’s aide at Bay View High School. Luckily, the student only sustained minor injuries, but that doesn’t change the severity or magnitude of this incident. When Milwaukee parents send their sons and daughters to school, they reasonably expect that school to serve as a safe space for their children to learn and grow.
Many of our city’s youth find themselves facing a host of obstacles when it comes to their education. Some go to schools that are in dire need of repair. Others are dependent on their schools as the only source of nutritious and balanced meals, but violence at the hands of an adult staff member should never be one of those obstacles. I consider such conduct as blatantly inexcusable.
We still do not have all the facts about this incident, but as details continue to surface, I ask my constituents to remain calm and measured as the proper authorities conduct their investigation.”