SALEM Teacher accused of assault agrees to leave school district

The teacher was suspended by the school board last year for his behavior toward students.
SALEM -- A high school teacher accused of throwing a piece of chalk at a ninth-grader's head has agreed to never again work in the Salem school district, according to schools Superintendent Dr. David Brobeck.
John McKee, 49, of East Ninth Street, is prohibited from working in the schools as part of an agreement he reached with the school board. The agreement also states that McKee will no longer be paid by the board.
The board approved the agreement at a special meeting Friday night. McKee did not attend the meeting.
Brobeck said he could not release further details about the agreement until the final copy was signed by the board and McKee, who taught a work-experience class at the high school.
Brobeck said McKee's class was absorbed by another class at the school. The school board may consider hiring a replacement for McKee next summer, he said.
Charged: Police said that on Nov. 2, McKee became angry when he feared a boy in his class was damaging a book cover. McKee threw the book into the hallway and pitched a piece of chalk at the boy, hitting him in the head, a police report states.
The police officer investigating the matter noted an abrasion and some swelling on the boy's head. McKee was arrested and charged with first-degree misdemeanor assault. He was later placed on "home assignment," meaning he did not have to report to work but he continued to be paid. The status of the case was not immediately available Friday.
Past discipline: In August 2000, the board suspended McKee for 49 days after he was accused of improper behavior toward pupils. School authorities said McKee slapped a junior high school pupil, kicked a male pupil, and addressed female pupils in a suggestive manner.
Brobeck said McKee's arrest as well as the past suspension led the board to approve the agreement Friday night. Representatives for the Salem Education Association and Ohio Education Association also endorsed the agreement.
McKee was a teacher for nearly 25 years. He also was a past president of the teachers union.