Watch CBS News

Baltimore Teacher Placed On Leave After Fight With Student

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- A Baltimore City teacher is on administrative leave after cell phone video surfaces of her and a student fighting in the hallway. It happens at Carver Vocational-Technical High School.

Gigi Barnett reports the student is facing charges from police.

What looks like a hallway brawl between two female students at Carver Vo-Tech High in West Baltimore turns out to be a fight between a student and teacher.

Other students caught it all on cell phone video.

At one point, the teacher slams the 17-year-old student into a bank of lockers, telling her, "this isn't a game. I'll kill you in here."

A couple of male student try to break the brawl with no success.

How it all started? Witnesses say the student pushed some chairs in the teacher's direction and later threw a book at her.

Some parents say the teacher "simply reacted."

"Somebody throw something at me, that's just your natural reaction. Like I said, to defend yourself, it depends on the situation cause no one is going to just stand there and let someone assault them," said Tanya Thompson, Baltimore City parent.

Others believe the teacher should have used other methods to control the student.

"I think she could have done it in a more professional way," said Earl Halstead, Baltimore City parent. "If there were no weapons or nothing involved, I feel the teacher could have tamed the student better than she did."

The teacher is currently on administrative leave, and the student is facing assault charges.

In a statement to Eyewitness News, school spokeswoman Edie House writes:

"Baltimore City Public Schools takes extremely seriously any incident that disrupts the learning environment and threatens the safety and well-being of students, staff or any member of a school community.

As facts of this incident are established, city schools has taken and will continue to take all appropriate action according to its personnel policies and the student code of conduct."

Baltimore City police are investigating the fight, and the school district has launched an internal investigation.

Other Local News:

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.