A substitute teacher in Florida was arrested after he allegedly kicked a student with disabilities and declared they were “square” following the assault.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced in a press release that Bryan Schewitz was arrested on Monday, October 19, and was charged with child abuse without great bodily harm following the incident that took place at Matanzas High School on Friday, October 16.
Authorities became aware of the incident when the school’s assistant principal told a school resource deputy that Schewitz, 60, was accused of kicking the student, according to a probable cause affidavit viewed by Law & Crime.
Investigators spoke to two witnesses, with one person telling officials that Schewitz “forcefully” moved the student into a chair because he was having a “behavioral episode.” Schewitz then allegedly forced the boy’s hands down on a table and said, “The gloves are off.”
The witness said that Schewitz was often “too rough with kids” and that he was “way too rough with the student” on the day of the incident. She had previously reported Schewitz’s conduct to the assistant principal.
Investigators also spoke to a school paraprofessional, who said he witnessed Schewitz kick the student. He claimed that the kick was so hard that it left behind a “large mark” on the boy’s leg. The paraprofessional later asked Schewitz how the student got the mark on his leg, and he allegedly responded, “He kicked me and I kicked him. So now we’re square.”
While investigators photographed the marks on the front of the boy’s left leg, his mother later contacted authorities and reported that there was “skin missing” from where her son was kicked.
Schewitz eventually spoke to authorities, and he claimed that the student had poor behavior including arriving late, refusing to do his classwork, not sitting down and kicking him. Schewitz said that he then stuck out his foot to block the student before he “kicked him by accident.”
He admitted he used force to get the student into a chair and held the student’s hands down on the table. He also said he told the student that “the gloves were coming off,” which he meant to inform the boy that things were getting serious.
As the investigation continued, the school district’s lead behavior specialist claimed that Schewitz “did not have proper training” from the district to use the redirection techniques that he described using. Schewitz also admitted to authorities he was not certified to apply “proper redirection techniques” in the county.
“When adults are trusted to be working with children, especially those who require extra care because of disabilities, they are expected to be the levelheaded ones in any situation and not lose control of their temper,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement about the incident. “It is never okay for a faculty member to strike a student, especially out of anger or frustration.”
Schewitz was taken into custody at Flagler County Jail and has since been released after he posted a $2,500 bond.
It is not currently clear if Schewitz has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
