Teacher threatens to punch students mocking how he said ‘quadrilateral,’ lawsuit says

Something about the way a high school teacher said the word “quadrilateral” made a class of students in eighth-period geometry begin to laugh, according to a lawsuit filed in Arkansas.

The teacher responded by turning toward two of the students “with his hand balled up in a fish and shaking” before threatening those two high schoolers on May 2, according to a complaint filed May 16 in Benton County Circuit Court.

“I bet I could punch both of you in the nose in one go,” the Bentonville West High School teacher is accused of saying.

Now, a family of one of the students is suing Bentonville Schools.

“We’ve not seen any filings, but also don’t comment on pending litigation,” a spokesperson for the district said in a statement to McClatchy News. The teacher did not immediately respond to a request for comment on May 19.

In the complaint, the parents said their student responded to her teacher by saying, “that is a threat.” The teacher then replied that “it’s not a threat it’s a promise” and laughed, according to the lawsuit.

The student “was very upset and shaken up over the interaction,” the complaint says.

The next day, the student and one of her parents met with the Bentonville West High School principal, according to the lawsuit. They said the principal responded by saying it seemed as though the teacher was using sarcasm.

The student was then removed from his geometry class, the lawsuit says.

Her parents are seeking judgment, damages and other relief.