A racial taunt turned a California classroom into the site of a brawl between two unlikely participants last week: a 64-year-old music teacher and a 14-year-old student. Days later, thousands of supporters have flooded a GoFundMe account, raising more than $85,000.
The altercation began at Maywood Academy High School when Marston Riley asked a male student, who was improperly dressed and in violation of the school uniform rules, to leave the room, the Sacramento Bee reported. A cellphone video shows the teenager refusing, then throwing a basketball at the teacher, who is black, and saying, “Why you wisecracking, my n-----?”
Riley then let loose on the boy, reportedly pummeling him repeatedly. Some students looked on or jumped in to break up the fight.
Others pulled out smartphones and recorded the brawl.
The student was taken to a hospital. Riley was arrested on child-abuse charges by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau Friday.
Cecilia Diaz Jimenez, a former colleague, and current school district employee, quickly launched a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Riley’s legal fees, writing: “He is going to need all the help he can get. Be mindful that the school district is looking at dismissing him and I would not doubt if the student’s parents are looking into pressing criminal charges. I am sure Mr. Riley will need money to pay any fines, fees, and lawyers.”
The only thing I don’t like about that incident is the hell the teacher is going to catch. He’s automatically fired and he’s going to need a Johnny Cochran type lawyer to avoid jail time. Basically, he has to prove that the racial slurs caused him to lose his sense of being - temporary insanity.
Ati parents want to press charges. During our days video kama hii …hold up ata wacha video…mzazi wangu angeskia nili provoke mwalimu who ended beating me and i tried to fight back kingeeleweka. Mzazi angerudi na mimi hio shule and tell the teacher wasaidiane kunichapa ma RKOs infront of the school assembly
