New York Teacher Charged With Assault After Allegedly Kicking a 12-Year-Old Student in the Chest

A New York City substitute teacher was arrested and charged this week after being accused of assaulting a 12-year-old student while on campus.

Roger Jassie, 57, was detained by officers from the New York Police Department after allegedly kicking a child in the chest during an altercation at the School of the Future in Brooklyn. The suspect was employed as a 7th-grade math teacher, according to the school website.

The teacher "lost his temper" with a child who was trying to block another student from entering his classroom, the New York Post reported.

The incident reportedly occurred at about 4 p.m., with Jassie being detained about an hour later and charged with assault and acting in a manner injurious to a child under 17-years-old, WPIX reported.

The boy, who has not been named, was taken to Brookdale University Hospital in Brooklyn for treatment after complaining of pain, WABC reported. He was not seriously injured. According to the New York Post, Jassie had been working as a teacher in the city for approximately three months.

In a statement released following his arrest, the New York City Department of Education (DoE) said: "The safety of our students is our top priority and this substitute teacher was immediately suspended without pay when we were made aware of this concerning allegation."

The school and NYPD did not immediately respond to request for comment. School of the Future is located at 574 Dumont Avenue, and provides education for 173 students. The teacher's actions appear to have broken some key sections of the DoE's 2019 code of conduct.

"School culture and climate have a profound impact on students' academic progress and their relationships with peers and adults," the code states. "Each school is expected to promote a positive school culture that provides students with a supportive environment."

New York City education regulations say teachers must contact 911 if de-escalation tactics are not able to address behavior that could lead to "imminent and substantial risk of serious injury." Teachers found to use physical force on students will face job termination, the rules state.

Earlier this week, a middle school in Los Angeles, California, was forced to increase its security measures after a brawl involving two men broke out on campus. Footage of the fight, allegedly sparked by a bullying incident, was caught on camera and uploaded to social media.

On Tuesday, this time in Florida, a woman was arrested after being accused of hitting a student on the head with a stun gun after getting involved in student conflict. Susan Strahsmeier, 42, was left facing felony charges of child abuse and possession of a weapon on school property.