Parent Beats Teacher After Daughter Told to Stop Using Phone in Class

A teacher was repeatedly punched by a parent in front of other kids after telling a pupil to stop using her mobile phone at school.

The 53-year-old teacher at the Guara Education Centre 4, in Brazil’s Federal District, had told the child to concentrate and copy what was on the board rather than use her phone. But in a quick escalation of the incident on Monday, the pupil contacted her dad Thiago Lenin Sousa who came down to the school to remonstrate with the teacher.

School cameras filmed how Sousa stormed into the classroom and punched the teacher nine times in the head. The teacher could be seen trying to protect himself while colleagues also got involved to try and stop Sousa as did the daughter who could be seen grabbing him round the neck.

At least three other pupils witnessed the shocking scenes in a classroom. Sousa was arrested following the incident and then bailed after being charged with making threats and assault. In a statement to authorities, the teacher told how she had told the pupil not to use her mobile.

He said: “ I told her not to touch her phone and to copy the content. She must have called her father, and he came to school to get a response from me.” It has led to concern in the local community about safety in schools as well as the use of smart phones.

The state’s department of education released a statement saying that it was investigating the incident. It added: “We condemn any form of violence in the school environment and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring a safe, welcoming, and respectful space for the entire community.”

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Many people in Brazil have also taken to social media to comment on the shocking attack with some asking why phones are allowed in schools.

One person wrote: “Where is the law banning cell phones in the classroom in DF doesn’t it have that law? Or are schools allowing cell phones?”

Another said: “What kind of parent is this showing this kind of example” and a further commented: “With parents getting involved like this, teachers will be left without any authority in the classroom, which means education is heading into the abyss.”