A 64-year-old teacher was jailed Saturday after a fight with a student in a classroom at an alternative high school in Maywood.
The confrontation between Marston Riley and the student occurred at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Maywood Academy High School at 6125 Pine Ave., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The school is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Video showed Riley slugging it out with the student as other students and a woman wearing a yellow safety vest try to intervene. Some students could be seen recording the fight on their cellphones.
The fight was over the uniform worn by the student, who allegedly directed racial epithets at Riley, CBS2 reported.
“I think it was both of their faults, like the teacher and the student,” student Enrique Deharo told ABC7. “I was scared for the kid, and partly for the teacher, too.”
Deputies from the sheriff’s East Los Angeles Station responded to the school after being called by the principal, the sheriff’s department reported.
School police relayed information about what happened to the deputies and Riley was arrested and taken to the sheriff’s station for booking on suspicion of committing cruelty against a child, officials said. Riley was being held on $50,000 bail, according to jail records.
The student was not seriously injured, but was taken to a hospital where he was treated and released, the sheriff’s department said.
The LAUSD released the following statement Saturday:
“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. 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.”