A high school teacher who was punched in the face by a student earlier this month said he’s back in the classroom and “will not be deterred” from educating students despite the violent actions of one.
He also said it’s his understanding that the student has been charged with felony assault.
What’s the background?
The violent attack caught on video at Lamar High School in Houston, Texas, occurred on April 6, KHOU-TV reported. It apparently was over a confiscated cell phone.
Raw video of the altercation shows the student ordering the teacher, “Gimme my f***in’ phone, [N-word]!” After repeated demands from the student, the teacher tells the student, “Go sit down.” With that the student socks the teacher in the face with an audible thud, after which screams are heard.
KHOU said the school’s principal sent a note to parents that reads, “We do not condone and will not tolerate this type of behavior. It is always our top priority to maintain an environment where our students and staff are safe. Administrators will be looking into the cause of the altercation and continue to evaluate ways to prevent these occurrences in the future.”
Teacher speaks out
Steve Carpentier, the teacher in question, issued a statement about what happened through his lawyer, according to a new story from KHOU.
Carpentier’s statement indicates that it’s his understanding that “the student has now been charged with a felony assault of a public servant by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.” His account of the incident does not mention him confiscating the student’s phone.
Here’s Carpentier’s full statement, according to KHOU:
Given the news stories and video that have been published since last Thursday, I felt it important to address the situation from my perspective. For the last 18 years, I have been a proud teacher at various high schools in Houston, Texas. I’ve spent the last two years teaching at Lamar High School in Houston [Independent School District]. Each day I have enjoyed teaching a student body who is generally caring, respectful, and eager to learn.
On April 6, 2023, I was teaching my theater class as normal. A student refused to participate, and instead, chose to use his cell phone during class in direct violation of our school’s rules. When I communicated that he could not use the cell phone during class and he had to hand me the phone, instead of using his words to convey his disagreement, he violently punched me in the face. Upon being struck, my initial concern was removing the student from the classroom and ensuring that he was not a continued danger to the other students who were present. My concern was based on having just been punched coupled with the fact that the student was recently suspended for fighting.
I go to school every day to educate. That is my sole goal each day. I never expected to be a victim of an assault committed by one of my students (my understanding is that the student has now been charged with a felony assault of a public servant by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office). And while the student will now be judged through the criminal justice system for his actions, I want to be resolute in communicating my commitment to education. I love what I do for a living. I love being an educator.
There is no place for violence in our schools, and though I was the victim of violence, this unfortunate event will not alter or shake my commitment to the students of Lamar High School and my love for education. Please know that, despite the pain that I currently feel both physically and mentally, I am back in the classroom and will not be deterred by a single student’s violent actions. I do not believe that the student’s actions are in anyway a reflection of the overall culture of Lamar High School.
‘Will not be deterred’ | Lamar High School teacher who was punched by student speaks outyoutu.be
Anything else?
The president of the Texas branch of the American Federation of Teachers told KHOU in another story that the 15-year-old student “made a huge mistake.”
“By all means, he should not be allowed back on a regular campus,” Zeph Capo added to the station. “This is not something that needs to be tolerated.”
More from KHOU:
Capo and other educators don’t believe there could have been anything that warranted that kind of reaction, much less the teacher confiscating a phone which is allowed under certain circumstances in HISD schools.
“Unfortunately, we see too much of this,” Capo added to the station. “We see too much of this happening toward our teachers and toward our school employees.”
Capo also commended the Lamar teacher for not fighting back, KHOU reported: “Which is all the more reason I hope that this teacher is supported, that the principal does what they need to do, that the school district follows the law.”
The station said the student’s father declined to comment.
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