A Las Vegas substitute teacher and a teen student unleashed a barrage of punches on each other after a classroom argument over a reported slur spilled out into a crowded hallway in front of other students.
Re’Kwon Smith, 27, is accused of brawling with the Valley High School student on Thursday when he asked the teen, who allegedly shouted out a racial slur, to leave the classroom, according to 8NewsNow.
The altercation turned physical when the student allegedly placed his hands on Smith.
Video obtained by the outlet captured both parties swinging at each other before Smith connected several times on the pupil, eventually knocking him down.
After knocking down the unidentified student, Smith stood over him seemingly yelling as the student balled up and cowered behind his hands.
Smith remained hovering over the student, landing several more punches until a campus safety monitor and other students helped their classmate off the floor, according to Fox 5 Vegas.
“You’re going to jail, [slur],” the laughing student reportedly shouted as he was escorted away.
“I see a teacher fighting a student, I’m like ‘Wow,'” Valley High School junior Andrew Acevez told KTNV. “And then the teacher is just standing over him, just slapping him, saying stuff to him, and I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s crazy.'”
“We are aware of an altercation involving a staff member and a student,” Valley High School principal Kimberly Perry-Carter wrote in a message to parents on Thursday.
“The information is preliminary, however, please know that CCSDPD is investigating the matter. Once we have information to share we will be sure to update our community,” the message obtained by KVVU read.
Smith was slapped with several charges stemming from the fight, according to jail records.
He was charged with battery resulting in serious bodily harm, assault of a school pupil on school property, interfering with a student from attending school, and threatening to do bodily harm to a public school student.
Smith is being held at Clark County Detention Center on $9,000 bail, with his next court appearance scheduled for Friday.
The student was also arrested on unspecified charges.
“Violence in any form is unacceptable and goes against the fundamental principles of education and respect. Any altercation between a teacher and a student is thoroughly investigated, and appropriate disciplinary action is taken,” the school district wrote according to the outlet.
Smith, who began working for the Clark County School District in November 2023, was removed from the substitute teacher pool and is no longer eligible to work at the district.
The CCSD Police Department is using the video as evidence, sources told KLAS-TV.
Thursday’s incident is the latest in a series of violent incidents between students and teachers in classrooms across the country.
Earlier this month, a North Carolina high school student was charged with assault after slapping his teacher twice across the face in a profanity-laced rant.
The rage-filled youngster, identified only as a minor, confronted the educator inside a classroom at Parkland High School in Winston-Salem.
