Video shows 2 students slamming St. Paul teacher to the ground

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - Two students were involved in an "altercation" with a staff member at Como Park Senior High School in St. Paul on Wednesday morning, the district said.

“Violent behavior is completely unacceptable and the news of this situation troubles me greatly,” Saint Paul Public Schools Superintendent Valeria Silva said. This comes after a series of fights have been reported in the district.

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Video circulating on social media shows the teacher being slammed to the ground by two students. In a letter sent out to parents, the principal said staff and the St. Paul Police Department responded immediately to the "serious situation."

Students told Fox 9 that the teacher was trying to get the two teens out of his classroom when the altercation occurred, and that the teens were defending themselves against unnecessary roughness.

“The kids came in looking for somebody and he started shoving them and he grabbed one of their arms, and the other one hit him because he was being rough,” freshman Emeli Inoa said.

Although the students weren't taken into custody, Steve Linders with the St. Paul Police Department said he expects both will be charged with assault. At this time, the situation is being investigated by the school district.

"There are severe consequences for students who behave this way and we will follow our strict discipline procedures as outlined in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook," Theresa Neal, Principal of Como Park Senior High, said.

Because of student data privacy laws, the school district said it cannot discuss or disclose disciplinary consequences that the students may have received as a result of the incident.

"I am sorry about the disruption to the school day and any anxiety you or your child may have experienced as a result," Neal said to parents in a newsletter.

Last week, Black Lives Matter-St. Paul threatened to “shut down” Como Park Senior High School over a teacher’s alleged Facebook comments that made generalizations about black students. After a meeting with the superintendent, the group agreed to discontinue any planned protests.

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