A Las Vegas substitute teacher and a teenage student launched a series of punches at each other after a classroom argument over a reported slur spilled into a crowded hallway in front of other students.
Re’Kwon Smith, 27, is accused of fighting with the Valley High School student Thursday when he asked the teen, who allegedly shouted a racial slur, to leave the classroom, according to 8NewsNow.
The altercation turned physical when the student allegedly put his hands on Smith.
Video obtained by the outlet captured the two parties swinging at each other before Smith repeatedly connected on the student, ultimately knocking him down.
After knocking the unidentified student down, Smith stood over him, apparently screaming as the student cowered and cowered behind his hands.
Smith stayed on top of the student, throwing several more punches until a campus security monitor and other students helped their classmate off the ground, according to Fox 5 Vegas.
“You’re going to jail (expletive),” the student allegedly shouted, laughing, as he was escorted away.
“I see a teacher fighting a student, I’m like ‘wow,'” Valley High School junior Andrew Acevez told KTNV. “And then the teacher is standing right over him, slapping him, saying stuff to him, and I’m like ‘wow, that’s crazy.'”
“We are aware of an altercation involving a staff member and a student,” Valley High Principal Kimberly Perry-Carter wrote in a message to parents Thursday.
“The information is preliminary, however, please be advised that the CCSDPD is investigating the matter. Once we have information to share, we will be sure to update our community,” the message obtained by KVVU read.
Smith was hit with several charges stemming from the fight, according to jail records.
He was charged with battery resulting in serious bodily harm, assaulting a student on school grounds, preventing a student from attending school and threatening to cause bodily harm to a public school student.
Smith is being held at the Clark County Detention Center on $9,000 bail with his next court appearance scheduled for Friday.
The student was also arrested on unspecified charges.
“Violence in any form is unacceptable and goes against fundamental principles of education and respect. Any altercation between a teacher and student is thoroughly investigated and appropriate disciplinary action is taken,” the school district wrote, according to the outlet.
Smith, who began working for the Clark County School District in November 2023, was removed from the substitute teacher pool and is no longer eligible to work in the district.
CCSD police are using the video as evidence, sources told KLAS-TV.
Thursday’s incident is the latest in a series of violence between students and teachers in classrooms across the country.
Earlier this month, a North Carolina high school student was charged with assault after slapping his teacher twice in the face during a profanity-laced speech.
The rage-filled youth, identified only as a juvenile, confronted the educator in a classroom at Parkland High School in Winston-Salem.
New York Post
