"Teachers need to be the enforcers": Richmond substitute teacher slams student in viral video, sparks online debate 

Richmond High School teacher fired after physically assaulting student who allegedly used racial slur (Image via LuisCam82062622/Twitter)
Richmond High School teacher fired after physically assaulting student who allegedly used racial slur (Image via LuisCam82062622/Twitter)

A Richmond High School teacher is being relentlessly thrashed online after video footage showed him throwing a student to the ground and shoving him out of the classroom. The educator is no longer employed at the institution. The incident is currently under investigation by the West Contra Costa Unified School District.

A video of the dispute was taken on Monday, January 23. In the viral footage, the Richmond School teacher can be heard yelling in the child’s face and asking him to “say it again.” Some social media users alleged that the school employee resorted to extreme actions after the student called him the N-word. Following this, the duo got into a heated confrontation.

The Richmond High teacher could be seen restraining himself with his arms behind him. However, the situation escalated and as he and the student continued to squabble, the Richmond High School educator suddenly grabbed the teenager by his clothes and forcefully shoved him to the ground.

Fellow students were heard gasping in shock and trying to get themselves away from the situation. The teacher then took to grabbing the student again and pushing him into the hallway. The educator then said:

“Get the f**k out of my class.”

Disclaimer: The following video may be disturbing to some viewers. Discretion is advised.

At the time of writing this article, officials had not confirmed whether the student did use a racial slur against the Richmond High teacher. It has also not been confirmed whether the student sustained any injuries in the incident. Information about disciplinary actions regarding the student is also not available.

The confrontation was recorded from several angles and uploaded to social media as the students took out their cell phones to record the shocking encounter at school.

Reacting to the viral video, one netizen seemingly supporting the educator, tweeted:


Netizens have mixed reactions to the Richmond High School teacher online

Several netizens flooded the internet with tweets condemning the teacher’s actions. Many noted that there were better ways to handle the situation.

Several netizens rallied for the Richmond High School teacher to be reprimanded for his actions. Others wondered whether the parents of the student pressed charges against the educator for physically assaulting the teenager.

Despite protests against the teacher, several netizens also believed that the student crossed a line.


Students protest for the teacher to be ousted following altercation

Lorenzo Morotti, a journalism teacher at the school, confirmed that students held a protest and walked out of their classes just before the fifth-period. They held flyers which read:

“We fed up. The actions he took wasn’t right but the kid actions also wasn’t.”

The Bay Area News Group obtained statements from the school’s black students union. They announced that both the teacher and the student should be removed from the institution for their actions. They said:

“Even though the teacher has all the eyes on him because he is an adult and should have handled it differently, at the end of the day they were both disrespectful, and eith one could have walked away. But… someone who is not black saying such a hateful word is wrong and should be held accountable for his actions. Not only should the teacher be removed, but the student as well.”
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The West Contra Costa Unified School District has since announced that the incident is being investigated. They also announced that the “district has taken swift action” and the teacher in question has been terminated from his employment.

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