Teacher with previous battery conviction arrested after grabbing unruly student, 14, carrying him to classroom door, shoving him into hallway

A Florida middle school teacher — previously convicted of battery in an incident involving an adult and suspended a number of times by the school district — was arrested and placed on leave after being caught on video grabbing an unruly 14-year-old student, carrying him to a classroom door, and shoving him into a hallway.

Image source: WESH-TV video screenshot

What are the details?

The 9 a.m. Tuesday incident at Buddy Taylor Middle School in Palm Coast began when the student was playing music on his computer in first-period class, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported, citing a charging affidavit.

The teacher — 47-year-old Jeffrey Paffumi — muted the music, but the student turned it back on, the News-Journal reported, citing the student's statement.

Paffumi and the student went back and forth two more times before Paffumi grabbed the computer, the paper said, citing documents.

"Put my (expletive) down cracka," the student told Paffumi, the News-Journal said, citing the report.

"I am not a cracka," Paffumi replied, the paper said.

"You is a cracka," the student said back to the teacher, the News-Journal reported.

'Show me how tough you are'

With that, video captured by another student shows Paffumi — listed as 6-foot-2 and 243 pounds, the paper said, citing the affidavit — grabbing the student, picking him up, and walking toward the classroom door.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

"Show me how tough you are," the teacher can be heard saying on the video. "Wanna call me a cracka?"

The clip then shows the door slamming open and Paffumi shoving the student into the hallway.

The student told Flagler County Sheriff's deputies the teacher put him in a choke hold that never restricted his airway, the News-Journal reported, adding that the student didn't have any marks or bruises.

Here's video that shows a portion of the incident:

Buddy Taylor Middle School teacher grabs, shoves studentyoutu.be

What happened to the teacher?

Paffumi was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge Wednesday, the sheriff's office told WESH-TV, which added that he was released to pre-trial services without having to post a monetary bond.

Jeffrey Paffumi Image source: Flagler County Sheriff's Office

Paffumi has two previous arrests in Flagler County from 2012, WESH said: A battery conviction involving another adult that resulted in probation and a criminal mischief charge that was dismissed.

What did the school district have to say?

"The actions of this teacher are not consistent with how we expect our educators to act and behave and it will not be tolerated," Flagler Schools Superintendent James Tager said in a statement, WESH reported. "We immediately removed Mr. Paffumi from the classroom following the incident and placed him on leave pending an investigation."

The school district hired Paffumi in 2005, WESH said — and Tager told the station Paffumi was involved in a handful of school-related incidents that required suspensions and some counseling.

What did the student's father have to say?

"I was infuriated," Keiondrae Woodside, the student's father, told WESH. "As a parent, when you send your kid to school, you expect for them to get an education at a safe, sound environment, and then I saw the video and that really took me over the edge."

Image source: WESH-TV video screenshot

Woodside added to the station that his son shouldn't have behaved disobediently, but he also could have been hurt.

"He traumatized him mentally and emotionally — and not just him, but the other kids that had to witness that," Woodside said.

After watching the video, Woodside said his family immediately wanted to press charges, WESH reported.

What did the sheriff have to say?

"As a teacher, you have to control your temper even when students test you," Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly told WTVT-TV. "This is an unfortunate incident involving a teacher and a student. My daughter is a school teacher, and I know from her how misbehaved some students can be, but as a teacher, you must deal with it appropriately. Corporal punishment like the old days is not allowed today."

School employee had 'handful' of incidents before grabbing student, officials sayyoutu.be

(H/T: Blue Lives Matter)