The Baton Rouge teacher claimed he was having trouble reaching out to his student.
On Monday morning, the Baton Rouge authorities charged 48-year-old Gregory Bonvilian, a public school teacher, with simple battery and cruelty to children. The man surrendered to the authorities after several teachers saw him banging a six-year-old student’s head on a brick wall and throwing him in the air.
Baton Rouge Teacher Had an Exemplary Disciplinary Record
According to the Baton Rouge authorities, on Friday afternoon, several concerned school teachers called 911 and told the emergency dispatcher that someone attacked a student.
When the authorities arrived, the teachers declared that Gregory Bonvilian, an art teacher was seen tossing a six-year-old student, grabbing him, and heading back to class.
On early Monday morning, the Baton Rouge teacher walked into the police headquarters and surrendered. Following the incident, the teacher was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of his court appearance.
During his police interview, the man recalled being in class and telling one of his students to keep quiet. According to the Baton Rouge teacher, the six-year-old refused to obey his teacher although he was warned several times.
At one point, Bonvilian asked the student to step outside with him so that they could talk. The Baton Rouge teacher told the authorities that when they’ve arrived in the school’s yard, he grabbed the student’s head and banged it against a brick wall at least two or three times, a fact confirmed by the teachers who witnessed Bonvilian’s assault.
When he told the boy to get back inside, the six-year-old allegedly punched the teacher in the face. That’s when Bonvilian got angry, picked up the boy, and held him in the air for a couple of seconds, before throwing him back on the ground.
According to the eyewitnesses, after the Baton Rouge teacher tossed the boy into the air, he picked him up and went back inside.
Image source: Wikipedia
Deborah Campbell
