A teacher has been charged with assault after video footage emerged of him allegedly physically attacking a student inside a public school classroom in the state’s Hunter region.
The video of the incident at Maitland Grossmann High School on Tuesday shows numerous scrunched-up pieces of paper being thrown across the classroom by students before 62-year-old Michael Kable reacts.
He picks one up and throws it in the direction of a student.
He says “come on, mate” before allegedly grabbing the collar of one male student and pulling him across a desk before releasing his grip on the student.
Another student said: “You … wanna touch him again?”
The teacher responds by telling them to put their phones away.
The recording continues, capturing the moment a small table is hurled at the teacher before he flees from the room.
NSW Police went to the school on Tuesday afternoon at about 2pm in response to reports that a student had been assaulted.
“The teenage boy was assessed at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics … [and] was not physically injured,” the statement said.
“About 9:30pm, a 62-year-old man was arrested and taken to Belmont Police Station, where he was charged with common assault.”
Kable, who is named in school correspondence as being the school’s general relief teacher, was asked to leave the site after the incident.
A Department of Education spokeswoman said support was being provided to students.
“Appropriate support is being provided as required and the school is working with police,” she said.
NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos said the footage was disturbing.
Kable will face Maitland Local Court on April 6.
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