Video Shows Teacher Throwing Ball on Student's Head, Mother Shocked

A substitute gym teacher at a Texas middle school could face criminal charges for allegedly throwing a basketball on a student's head on purpose after a game of dodgeball got out of control.

The Wise County Messenger reported Bill Garvin, who had substituted at Bridgeport Middle School in the past, was hit several times by soft dodgeballs by students. One student fell to the floor laughing. It was this student who Garvin allegedly threw a basketball straight down upon.

An iPad video of the scene was taken by a student. After the clip shows a basketball being thrown on the unnamed seventh-grader's head, students continued throwing soft dodgeballs at the teacher. The teacher can later be heard in the clip saying something to the effect of "You want to be down there crying like he is?" seeming to reference the boy who had been hit by him earlier.

(Image: KHOU screenshot)

(Image: KHOU screenshot)

(Image: KHOU screenshot)

The Wise County Messenger has more from a student witness of the scene:

An eighth-grade student in the class had the presence of mind to video the incident, using his school-issued iPad.

“It started out with all the kids going crazy,” he said. “I took out my video and started filming it. At first it was kind of funny. All the kids were just throwing dodgeballs at each other’s heads. (Garvin) got hit with a ball. He got angry and saw (name withheld) on the ground and he threw the basketball at his head.”

Principal Travis Whisenant said as soon as he saw the video, which the eight-grader brought him after the class, Garvin was asked to leave the campus and parents were notified.

KHOU reported the victim's mother saying she was upset because the substitutes are "supposed to be people you can trust." Watch the report:

The victim, who is a leukemia survivor, was reported to have a headache afterward but no other symptoms.

The Wise County Messenger stated the parents of the boy saying they intended to press charges. MyFoxDFW reported if charges are pressed, Garvin could face up to two years of jail and a $4,000 fine.