California Music Teacher Arrested After Video Shows Him Punching Student in Class

Warning: Distressing footage

A California high school music teacher was arrested on Nov. 2 after video footage showed him fighting a student during class.

Marston Riley, 64, was arrested on “suspicion of child abuse and causing great bodily injury on a child,” reported KTLA. He taught at Maywood Academy High School in Maywood.

Riley’s bond was set at $50,000, but CBS Los Angeles reported that he posted bond and was out of jail.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the special victims’ bureau is now investigating, local reports stated.

Cellphone video shows the teacher punching the student in the head in front of the class before the two could be seen going across the room. Riley then allegedly grabs the unnamed student and hits him with what appears to be a cellphone.

Students in the class could be heard yelling, and some students tried to break the melee up.

“It was just back and forth, back and forth, and then the teacher just decided to throw a punch and that’s when everything happened,” a student told CBS Los Angeles about the incident, saying he was scared.

A California music teacher is seen fighting with a student in class, according to reports on Nov. 3, 2018. Screenshot/Fox

Another student described Riley as a “nice teacher,” KTLA reported. “I had this teacher before and I had no problem with him,” the student was quoted by the station as saying. “He was a really nice teacher, I always respected him. He always had a really good relationship with every student.”

“I think something needs to be done. That’s way out of hand,” a parent told CBS Los Angeles. “I send my kids [to] school to learn, not to hit,” another parent told the outlet.

Reports said that the teacher had dismissed a student from class for not wearing the correct uniform. The student returned and yelled racial slurs at the teacher, and later, a basketball was thrown at the teacher, CBS Los Angeles reported.  Students told the station it escalated from there.

“It was just back and forth, back and forth, and then the teacher just decided to throw a punch and that’s when everything happened,” a student said.

The student was taken to the hospital, and he is believed to be fine.

‘Extremely Disturbed’

A Los Angeles Unified Schools spokeswoman, Shannon Haber, said in a statement: “We are extremely disturbed by the reports of the events that occurred at Maywood Academy High School.”

“We take this matter very seriously and do not condone violence or intolerance of any kind,” Haber said, Yahoo News reported. “Los Angeles Unified is cooperating with law enforcement in investigating this incident. Crisis counselors and additional school police patrols will be at the school on Monday to support our students and staff.”