The parent and teacher involved in a fracas at the Houston Secondary School, East Bank Demerara on Thursday are blaming each other for the violent incident.
While they were both released from Police custody, they have to return to the Ruimveldt Police Station on Friday.
According to a statement from Police Headquarters, the 43-year-old teacher, Kimone Gentle, related that at about 10:30 hrs Thursday, she was sitting in an office when the mother, Keola Stanton and her 17-year-old son entered.
According to the Police, the teacher reportedly approached the parent and enquired about her relationship with the student, when the woman allegedly responded in a loud tone saying, “I am his mother.”
“The teacher asked the parent to lower her voice since exams were ongoing in the various classrooms, to which the parent responded, saying: ‘All ayo teachers got a problem with meh child and I gon teach you something today’,” the Police said.
At this point, the teacher alleged that the parent took out her phone and began to video her.
“The teacher asked the parent twice to remove the phone from her face, which she ignored and continued to video while allegedly behaving aggressively towards the teacher. The parent’s hand hit the teacher’s reading glasses, which fell to the ground.”
Meanwhile, according to the Police, the parent alleged that she went to the school to meet with the principal concerning an incident her son was involved in.
“The woman further claimed that while waiting to see the HM, the 43-year-old teacher enquired about her relationship with the student and told the teacher that she was the student’s mother. The parent said the teacher began complaining about her son’s attitude and conduct in school,” the Police said.
The parent claimed that she replied to Gentle by saying: “All ayo advantaging my son”, during which the teacher allegedly abused her with a series of expletives.
The mother further claimed that she took out her phone and began to record Gentle and the situation escalated when the teacher allegedly approached her and hit the phone out of her hands.
This resulted in an argument that turned into a scuffle.
“During the scuffle, the teacher allegedly picked up a chair and dealt the parent several lashes about her body, causing her to lose balance and fall to the ground, receiving injuries to her body,” Police Headquarters revealed.
And upon noticing this, the student went to his mother’s aid when he was also allegedly assaulted by the teacher.
According to the Police, other teachers parted the commotion and the school’s security escorted the parent and her son out of the compound.
“The teacher armed herself with a cutlass and charged behind the parent and her son but was calmed by other school teachers,” the Police report noted.
The investigation is ongoing.
