Education

Teacher On Paid Leave After Allegedly Restraining Student To A Chair With Masking Tape

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Neetu Arnold Contributor
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A Colorado teacher was placed on paid leave after allegedly restraining a middle school student to a chair with masking tape.

Police say a cell phone video from Tuesday shows a teacher wrapping masking tape around a 13-year-old boy’s legs and torso, ABC News reported on Friday. The incident occurred at Prairie Heights Middle School in Evans, Colorado.

The teacher also placed the tape on the student’s mouth, which the student is seen removing, according to ABC 7. Officials said the 13 second video looked like it was taken during class.

“School officials spoke with the boy and his parents after they were made aware of what happened,” Theresa Myers, chief of communications for Greeley-Evans School District 6 told ABC News. “The school found out two days after the alleged incident took place.”

The teacher was placed on paid administrative leave by the Greeley-Evans School District 6 two days later, after the video was given to police.

“Based on the content of the video, no clear conclusion can be drawn as to exactly what we’re dealing with,” Evans Police Chief Rick Brandt said, ABC 7 reported. “By itself — concerning, but not raising to a level of alarm. However, after some interviews, specifically with the child involved in this, and others, the video taken into context with other information we have did raise our level of concern, and it was clear that we needed to conduct a criminal investigation into this matter.”

Officials believe the teacher was trying to punish the student but are still investigating the situation. Myers confirmed that the teacher was a woman, according to ABC News.  (RELATED: Substitute Teacher Allegedly Threatened To Burn Student With Lighter If Assignment Was Not Completed)

Brandt, Prairie Heights Middle School and Greeley-Evans School District 6 did not immediately reply to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this reporting referred to the tape as duct tape. The Evans police chief clarified that is was masking tape. This post has been updated on that point.

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