MISHAWAKA — A John Young Middle School teacher was the victim of a battery Monday morning while trying to break up a fight between two female students, according to a police report.
The teacher, 55, was injured about 8:30 a.m. shortly after she went into the hallway for supervision and heard screaming and yelling coming from two 14-year-old girls, who were arguing.
The alleged assailants at first listened to the teacher’s commands to stop, and went into a room. But once inside the room, the argument became more heated, causing the teacher to get in-between the students to stop the fight, according to the report.
When one of the students charged the other, the teacher was struck in the right side of the face with a closed fist, causing her to stumble backward into a trash can, the report noted. When she hit the trash can, the teacher fell on the floor, and both students then engaged in a fight right over the top of her, according to the report.
While on the floor, the teacher told police, she was hit, kicked and her hair was pulled by the students. A desk was also knocked over on top of her.
The teacher said both students appeared to mutually engage in the fight.
The teacher suffered swelling on the eye and cheek, and was taken to an occupational health center to be treated for her injuries.
One of the students was bleeding from the mouth area and was treated by a school nurse.
Gregg Hixenbaugh, director of human resources and legal counsel for School City of Mishawaka, said today that both students have been suspended, and a request for expulsion is anticipated to be forwarded from John Young Principal Dave Troyer to Superintendent Terry Barker.
Hixenbaugh said the teacher, whose name The Tribune is not releasing, has been released medically to go back to work.
During the previous school year, a teacher was injured when trying to intervene during a fight between students at John Young, Hixenbaugh said.
“We certainly take any matter involving any injury to staff members very seriously,” Hixenbaugh said. “We will continue to work with our staff to ensure this is a safe and secure environment at John Young Middle School.”
Staff writer Tom Moor:
tmoor@sbtinfo.com
574-235-6234
The teacher, 55, was injured about 8:30 a.m. shortly after she went into the hallway for supervision and heard screaming and yelling coming from two 14-year-old girls, who were arguing.
The alleged assailants at first listened to the teacher’s commands to stop, and went into a room. But once inside the room, the argument became more heated, causing the teacher to get in-between the students to stop the fight, according to the report.
When one of the students charged the other, the teacher was struck in the right side of the face with a closed fist, causing her to stumble backward into a trash can, the report noted. When she hit the trash can, the teacher fell on the floor, and both students then engaged in a fight right over the top of her, according to the report.
While on the floor, the teacher told police, she was hit, kicked and her hair was pulled by the students. A desk was also knocked over on top of her.
The teacher said both students appeared to mutually engage in the fight.
The teacher suffered swelling on the eye and cheek, and was taken to an occupational health center to be treated for her injuries.
One of the students was bleeding from the mouth area and was treated by a school nurse.
Gregg Hixenbaugh, director of human resources and legal counsel for School City of Mishawaka, said today that both students have been suspended, and a request for expulsion is anticipated to be forwarded from John Young Principal Dave Troyer to Superintendent Terry Barker.
Hixenbaugh said the teacher, whose name The Tribune is not releasing, has been released medically to go back to work.
During the previous school year, a teacher was injured when trying to intervene during a fight between students at John Young, Hixenbaugh said.
“We certainly take any matter involving any injury to staff members very seriously,” Hixenbaugh said. “We will continue to work with our staff to ensure this is a safe and secure environment at John Young Middle School.”
Staff writer Tom Moor:
tmoor@sbtinfo.com
574-235-6234
