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Substitute teacher accused of assault
YOUNGSTOWN
An incident in a P. Ross Berry Middle School classroom has led to the suspension of a substitute teacher and the arrest of a complaining parent.
The incident started in the East Side school where a substitute teacher had been put in charge of the class Nov. 22, according to police reports. The mother of an 11-year-old student in the class told police her son said the substitute slapped and pushed him.
The 37-year-old woman told police her son was in the classroom and had gotten out of his seat to ask the teacher for a social-studies paper when the teacher slapped the boy across his right cheek and pushed him away before ordering the boy to sit down.
The woman told police the slap and push were not hard and her son was not injured by the teacher but complained the teacher should not have touched the boy and that the school should have notified her about the incident.
John T. Allen, ombudsman for the city schools, said substitute teachers can be dismissed immediately for various infractions. He said the school is investigating the allegations, and the teacher, in the meantime, won’t be working in the district.
The boy’s father, Marcus McQueen, 36, of West Evergreen Avenue, was arrested for criminal trespass while complaining about the situation to police.
Police reported that McQueen went to the family-services-division office of the Youngstown Police Department on Nov. 23 to complain about the incident at the school, but he did not have his son with him.
In their reports, officers said they told McQueen he would need to make an appointment and return with his son to file a report.
Reports say McQueen became confrontational with officers, insisting the teacher be arrested. Officers asked McQueen to leave the office, but he refused and ultimately was charged with criminal trespass.
Officers noted that McQueen apologized, saying he was emotionally charged over the incident with his son.
McQueen has a court appearance Jan. 12 before Judge Robert Douglas of Youngstown Municipal Court.