Texas middle school teacher is caught on video removing her mask and intentionally exhaling over cornered student while shouting 'I don't care' despite district's mandate
A Texas middle school teacher was temporarily 'removed from the classroom' after she was filmed removing her face mask and intentionally exhaling over a cornered student - before shouting 'I don't care' as the child tried to get away.
The student is seen covering her face with her hand as the unmasked teacher breaths over her during an altercation at Mead Middle School in Houston.
The Aldine Independent School District requires face coverings for all students and staff. It's one of 19 independent Texas school districts that have sued Gov. Greg Abbott over his ban on school-wide mask mandates.
Footage of the incident - which is believed to have happened on September 17 - began to spread on social media on Monday.
On Thursday, the district said it will discipline the unidentified teacher for her 'unacceptable' conduct, but declined to clarify whether she's still employed.
'After being notified of the incident, the teacher was removed from the classroom and an investigation was conducted. The investigation has concluded and the district will take appropriate administrative action,' the district told DailyMail.com.
Videos of the incident began surfacing on social media this week, with one recording posted in the Grizzy's Hood News Facebook page.
The page claims an unnamed relative of the student said that school staff initially told them nothing had happened, before the footage emerged online.
The relative also claimed the teacher was suspended with pay.
The teacher, left, was filmed cornering a student and breathing on her on September 17
'I don't care. I don't care,' the teacher is heard saying while exhaling frantically
The school district will take 'administrative action,' though it's unclear if the teacher is still in the classroom
The scarlet-haired educator approaches the student and corners her against the wall, as seen on two separate videos.
'Shut up,' the teacher tells the masked girl. 'First of all, don't get it twisted.'
The student holds her hand up to her face as the unmasked teacher breaths on her.
'I don't care. I don't care,' the teacher says while breathing out frantically.
'Get out of my face,' the student replies, to which the teacher says, 'Make me.'
At one point, the student argues: 'That's why your breath smells,' prompting giggles from the class.
'You want me to leave your class or not?' the cornered student asks twice.
'No, actually [unintelligible] sit back down,' the teacher demands, slapping a desk. 'Sit back down.'
More Texas students have tested positive for COVID this year than in the entire 2020-2021 year
The incident happened at Mead Middle School in Houston, Texas
Just two months into the school year, Texas public schools have reported more COVID-19 cases among students than during the entire 2020-2021 year, according to the Texas Tribune.
Classes at the Aldine School District began on August 16.
By the end of the week, there were 19,244 new COVID cases among all Texas public school students.
The number more than doubled to 42,552 new cases by September 5 and settled at 21,745 by the week ending September 19, two days after the Mead Middle incident.
Students, staff and visitors in all Aldine district buses, schools and buildings are required to wear mask, according to district policy. The district does not have a vaccine requirement.
In August, a Travis County judge extended a temporary restraining order against Gov. Abbot's ban on school-wide mask mandates.
'At the court hearing, Superintendent Goffney testified that masks are needed for the safety of students and staff in Aldine ISD,' according to the district.
Commenters took issue with the fact that the teacher was breathing on the student unmasked. 'This is not someone I want in authority of my teenage child,' one woman wrote
Commenters on social media were shocked by the teacher's behavior in the face of the ongoing pandemic.
'Isn't that like a terrorist threat rn especially with the rona still out there,' one man asked.
Some commenters pointed out that it's unclear what led to the face-off.
'From personal experience these kids like testing the teachers and sadly they lose their patience then they get blamed for their actions when clearly the student push them to their limits,' one woman wrote.
'Don't come for me because I'm speaking facts.'
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