Salem High teacher pushes teen, 14, in classroom confrontation, charged with battery
CONYERS, GEORGIA: A Rockdale County teacher has been charged with battery after he allegedly pushed a student to the ground during an argument. The teacher, Marquette Thinn, has also reportedly lost his job after the incident on Monday, January 24, at Salem High School in Conyers, Georgia. Rockdale County investigators said that the dispute happened after the unnamed teenage student cursed at him and tried to leave his class.
Reportedly, someone made a video of the incident, which was seen by the sheriff’s office. In the video, Thinn and the 14-year-old were allegedly arguing with each other before the latter one said, “I ain’t say s*** to you” as he collected his stuff. As the freshman attempted to leave the class, Thinn cursed him and said, “sit yo punk a** down somewhere,” before he shoved him to the floor due to which the victim had minor wrist injuries.
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Cindy Ball, a spokesperson for the Rockdale school district, told CNN that Thinn has been removed from his job. “We work diligently to investigate all allegations of employee misconduct. Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) expects all employees to conduct themselves professionally and ethically to provide a positive teaching and learning environment for students and staff,” Ball added.
In a news release, investigators said that Thinn was arrested and has been pressed with a simple battery charge. He, however, got released after paying a $2,000 bond. Rockdale County Sheriff's Investigator J Figuerora explained why the accused was only charged with battery. Figuerora said, “When I first did see it, it looked pretty clear that the student was assaulted by the teacher. Yes, the student was pushed to the ground. It wasn't a strike or like a closed fist strike, but I know it was hard to see. In reference to that, both the teacher and the student acknowledged it was just a push and nothing more than that.” The investigator added: “That wouldn't constitute an aggravated assault. The reason we charged battery is when you do make physical contact, whether there is injuries or not.”
This incident came weeks after a White teacher was fired after an investigation found that he had a violent exchange with a student whom he also told he was “just another black boy who got shot”. The altercation between William Bennett and the student Jamir Strane had happened in August 2021. Bennett’s termination letter stated that he was a science teacher at Marion C Moore High School in Louisville, who said something to Strane “about being shot,” which provoked the victim and he punched him. The man then pushed Strane to the floor and put his “whole body weight on top of him.”
It was also revealed that Bennett did not have a clean past. Years ago, he was terminated from Elizabethtown Independent Schools, about 45 miles south of Louisville, after he unlawfully entered a house to find if his girlfriend was cheating on him. He was also put behind bars at the time. The man is also reportedly known for making sexual jokes and calling students “Nazi humorists”.