Teacher knocked over, kicked 5-year-old for not moving ‘fast enough,’ Ohio lawsuit says
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The parents of an Ohio boy have filed a lawsuit after they say their son was assaulted by his teacher.
On May 3, the 5-year-old pre-K student was sitting on the floor waiting to enter the cafeteria with his classmates at Parkmoor Elementary School when his teacher tripped over him, according to a civil complaint.
The teacher then told another teacher that the boy should move. When the boy didn’t move fast enough, the teacher told the other teacher to kick the boy, according to the complaint.
However, the other teacher refused. That’s when the teacher “intentionally struck” the boy, knocking him over. Then, while the boy was on the ground, the teacher kicked him, the complaint said.
The teacher then picked the boy up “like a football” and carried him away, according to the complaint.
McClatchy News reached out to the Columbus Board of Education, which is listed as a defendant in the case, but did not immediately hear back.
The court document said that prior to the incident, the teacher complained to another colleague, “don’t you wish you could just kick them back.”
The lawsuit said the Columbus City School District was aware of the teacher’s “threat to injure students.”
“The Columbus City School District took no action to protect students following (the teacher’s) threats of violence against students,” the lawsuit said.
It also said the teacher had been caught drinking alcohol at the elementary school during the 2023-2024 school year and was not disciplined for it.
The parents’ lawsuit is asking for an undetermined amount in damages.
