Mom: Teacher made kids beat son

Teacher is still employed at the school

Updated: Wednesday, 23 Feb 2011, 1:31 PM MST
Published : Wednesday, 23 Feb 2011, 7:57 AM MST
Reporter: Alex Tomlin
Video at the Link:

MORA COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) - A mother claims boys in her son's kindergarten class beat him up, and that the teacher told them to do it.

Rolinda Dunmire rushed to pick up her son, Amos, from his class on Friday, Feb. 18, after his teacher called and said the boy was acting up. When she got to the school, her son was crying.

"[The teacher] approached me and said that my son had hit another kid and, to punish him, she had all the boys in the class beat him up," said Dunmire.

Dunmire claims the teacher had eight other boys line up and start swinging.

Mora Independent School's Superintendent Thomas Garcia said the district was aware that something happened and is doing a full investigation, but the teacher remains in the classroom.

Garcia said since there is no claim the teacher actually made physical contact with the boy, there is no reason to pull her out.

Garcia said they are now working to interview everyone involved, "We would talk to students who were involved and see if they were given any specific instruction or any specific direction and if that is the case, than we will deal with it appropriately."

If the school district does determine that the fight was ordered by the teacher, Garcia said it will be handled as a personnel issue, and could not discuss the punishment.

Dunmire said she wants something done now, "I am not justifying that my son should have hit the kid, he was punished for his actions, that's not right. But, point being, bottom line what the teacher did is unacceptable. She has no right to punish any child in that way."

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/education/ ... at-student