A high school teacher in New South Wales, Australia, Michael John Kable, has been charged with common assault after being caught on camera physically attacking a student. The incident started as a paper fight but quickly escalated into a brawl, during which the teacher dragged the student across a desk. Several students recorded the incident, hurling abuse at Kable, with one even throwing a desk at him. Kable has received support from an online petition, #bringbackkable, which accuses the students of verbally and physically abusing him throughout his career. The NSW Education department has suspended Kable’s employment while the police investigate the incident. Data from the department shows a rise in violence against teachers in schools, with 632 teachers being assaulted by students in 2019.
“Community supports teacher accused of student assault.”
