A tenured social studies teacher at Branford High was put on administrative leave last week after she allegedly brandished a knife in front of her students.
Within hours of the incident, the school’s principal and the superintendent’s office removed the teacher from this class and all others she taught and told parents why.
The teacher, who has been at Branford High for a decade, was placed on administrative leave after she displayed the knife last Thursday in a freshman history class. The circumstances that led her to display what was described as a long cutting knife have not been disclosed.
The Eagle is withholding the identity of the teacher unless and until charges are brought against her.
According to those familiar with the event, a male student in the class told her to put the knife down. She did so and then returned it to her desk drawer. It is not known why she brought the knife to class or how long she had it in her desk.
In a letter sent Friday to the parents and guardians of students in her class, Hamlet Hernandez, the schools superintendent, wrote that based on early information “it appears that the teacher’s conduct was intended as a joke”
But Hernandez said it was no joke. In his letter to parents he described the brandishing of a knife in class as inappropriate and possibly “dangerous conduct by your child’s social studies teacher.”
“The safety of our students is paramount,” Hernandez said. In an interview last night he added that safety includes a student’s physical and emotional well-being. “We take this very, very seriously,” he said.
In his letter, Hernandez told the parents the teacher’s case will be investigated by the “appropriate authorities” in what he described as “a timely manner.” He said school officials stand ready to take whatever action “may be warranted. “
In a subsequent interview with the Eagle, Hernandez said the appropriate authorities include the Branford Police Department and the state Department of Children and Family Services (DCF). This means the inquiry might take some time. Typically DCF investigates issues surrounding abuse of children in one form or another.
Had it been a student brandishing a knife, the police would have been called to the school immediately. But the teacher was not immediately arrested, Hernandez said, pending the outcome of the investigations.
Asked if the teacher has had any prior problems with students, Hernandez replied: “I am not commenting on that.”
Students said she is a very strict teacher.
According to those with knowledge of the event, Lee Panagoulias, Jr., the principal of Branford High, interviewed several students in the class and the teacher after the event occurred. He quickly put her on administrative leave, pending the outside inquiries. Hernandez sent his letter to parents and guardians the next day.
Hernandez told parents they would be informed of the outcome of the inquiries. A copy of his letter was also sent to the school principal and to the teacher’s personnel file. The teacher is married and has two young daughters.
“Given the seriousness of the incident, we are taking steps to mitigate the disruption to the educational process,” he said, adding that a substitute teacher will be assigned to teach this class and to whatever other classes she taught.
“This is no reflection of our teaching staff,” Hernandez told the Eagle. “We have a fine group of teachers.”
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Brandishing a dangerous weapon on school property? Let me see, how many local, state and federal laws were broken here; and the best the system can do is administrative leave? As it states in the article, anyone else would have been arrested, hauled out in cuffs, and charged.
"Had it been a student brandishing a knife, the police would have been called to the school immediately. But the teacher was not immediately arrested, Hernandez said, pending the outcome of the investigations."
Now why does that sound so '1%' to me?