A Wisconsin high school student has been charged with a felony after punching a male teacher over what was allegedly an offhand joke.
17-year-old Ridwaan H. Mohamud had reportedly had been teased because of his appearance, and the teacher alleges he made his comments to bolster the student’s confidence.
The attack happened on Monday at Green Bay Southwest High School. The teacher, whose name has not been released, suffered a broken nose due to the fracas.
According to The Green Bay Press Gazette:
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
The male teacher had been counseling Mohamud Friday about his getting picked on by someone at the school, and the teacher told him he’d be willing to date him, the criminal complaint says. The teacher said he intended the remark as a joke and as a way to tell Mohamud he wasn’t ugly.
The school’s associate principal, Jeff Vanlannen told police he’d been made aware of the discussion on Friday and assured Mohamud the teacher wasn’t making advances to him, the complaint says.
Mohamud’s mother told school authorities and police that she had tried to talk Mohamud out of being angry over the weekend, the complaint says. Mohamud entered the teacher’s first-hour class Monday, called out his name, then approached and punched him in the face, the complaint says. Witnesses who intervened said the teacher made no effort to defend himself, the complaint says.
Mohamud will be charged as an adult with substantial battery and disorderly conduct, and he could face 3.5 years if convicted.
