Student expelled after attempting to hit teacher
A Benjamin Franklin High School student was thrown out of summer school today after attempting to strike a teacher who caught him cheating, officials said.
A Benjamin Franklin High School student was thrown out of summer school today after attempting to strike a teacher who caught him cheating, officials said.
A quick-thinking classmate prevented the student from actually hitting the teacher.
The student - whose name is not being released because he is a juvenile - was a senior who needed to make up a course in order to graduate. The teacher, Gerald Laut, was giving a social studies final during his first period class.
Laut, a district veteran, had warned his students about cheating, said Felecia Ward, a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia School District. At about 9:45 a.m., he witnessed the student, a male, cheating, Ward said.
Laut confronted the student, Ward said, and the student jumped up, denying the charges.
"He tried to say, 'I'm not cheating, get out of my face,'" said Ward. "He denied it, but the teacher had warned him twice."
When it appeared that the student was about to strike Laut, another student rose from his seat to prevent any physical contact. Though the first student was not able to hit Laut, the impact of the second student standing caused Laut, who was braced for a blow, to lose his footing.
The teacher fell backwards and lost his glasses.
The first student was removed from the classroom and written up, and the police were called to the school. The second student is being praised for his actions.
Laut sustained no serious injuries, Ward said, but was taken to the nurse's office and, over his objections, to the hospital. Ward said Laut does not want to press charges, but that calling the police is part of district protocol.
Though the actual incident was over quickly, the school was in an uproar for a time, Ward said.
"Everyone else jumped up and ran outside the classroom and said, 'There's going to be a fight,'" said Ward.
The student will not be permitted to return to summer school or receive credit for the class, she said.
