12-22-2005, 03:57 PM
Teacher charged with striking autistic student
By Sarah Horner
Fergus Falls Daily Journal - Minnesota
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
A teacher for Fergus Falls District 544 was charged Tuesday with assault and malicious treatment of a child after allegedly striking a student, according to Otter Tail County court records.
The report said veteran special education teacher Patrick Sagerhorn hit an autistic 4-year-old boy on Oct. 15 after the student threw a Kleenex that Sagerhorn had handed him onto the floor.
Another teacher, who allegedly witnessed the incident, is cited in the report as informing authorities that she saw Sagerhorn standing in front of a fussing student seated in a Rifton chair while she was walking through the hallway to mail a sympathy card at Cleveland Elementary School. The teacher said she then saw Sagerhorn hand the child some loose Kleenex, which the boy threw on the ground. The teacher said Sagerhorn responded by slapping the child on the face with an open hand. She is cited as saying the slap looked hard, because Sagerhorn swung his whole arm through turning the child's face from left to right.
“It would have hurt,” the teacher said in the report.
The teacher then said in the report that Sagerhorn said in a strict and rough voice, “you don't do that,” to the boy. The boy then began to cry.
The teacher reported the incident to an investigator with the Department of Education, who later reported it to the Fergus Falls Police Department, the report said.
Criminal charges, including one count of malicious treatment of a child and two counts of fifth-degree assault, were filed by the county attorney's office Tuesday.
Ryan Cheshire, the attorney who reviewed the case, said he did not want to comment on the circumstances of the case at this time.
The Fergus Falls School Board held a special board meeting Monday morning where the board unanimously approved the proposed termination of Sagerhorn's 28-year position with the district.
Ed Roderick, a field representative for Education Minnesota, said Sagerhorn has the option of requesting a hearing on the matter regulated by a neutral arbitrator.
Sagerhorn would have the opportunity to share his side of the story at the hearing, and the arbitrator would rule for or against him.
Based on the outcome of such a hearing, the school board would meet again to make a final decision on Sagerhorn's position.
Bezek said no hearing request had been made by Sagerhorn to date, but the window of opportunity for the hearing has not passed.
Sagerhorn, reached Tuesday at his home, declined comment on the case.
Source: The Daily Journal
http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/articl...news01.txt
By Sarah Horner
Fergus Falls Daily Journal - Minnesota
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
A teacher for Fergus Falls District 544 was charged Tuesday with assault and malicious treatment of a child after allegedly striking a student, according to Otter Tail County court records.
The report said veteran special education teacher Patrick Sagerhorn hit an autistic 4-year-old boy on Oct. 15 after the student threw a Kleenex that Sagerhorn had handed him onto the floor.
Another teacher, who allegedly witnessed the incident, is cited in the report as informing authorities that she saw Sagerhorn standing in front of a fussing student seated in a Rifton chair while she was walking through the hallway to mail a sympathy card at Cleveland Elementary School. The teacher said she then saw Sagerhorn hand the child some loose Kleenex, which the boy threw on the ground. The teacher said Sagerhorn responded by slapping the child on the face with an open hand. She is cited as saying the slap looked hard, because Sagerhorn swung his whole arm through turning the child's face from left to right.
“It would have hurt,” the teacher said in the report.
The teacher then said in the report that Sagerhorn said in a strict and rough voice, “you don't do that,” to the boy. The boy then began to cry.
The teacher reported the incident to an investigator with the Department of Education, who later reported it to the Fergus Falls Police Department, the report said.
Criminal charges, including one count of malicious treatment of a child and two counts of fifth-degree assault, were filed by the county attorney's office Tuesday.
Ryan Cheshire, the attorney who reviewed the case, said he did not want to comment on the circumstances of the case at this time.
The Fergus Falls School Board held a special board meeting Monday morning where the board unanimously approved the proposed termination of Sagerhorn's 28-year position with the district.
Ed Roderick, a field representative for Education Minnesota, said Sagerhorn has the option of requesting a hearing on the matter regulated by a neutral arbitrator.
Sagerhorn would have the opportunity to share his side of the story at the hearing, and the arbitrator would rule for or against him.
Based on the outcome of such a hearing, the school board would meet again to make a final decision on Sagerhorn's position.
Bezek said no hearing request had been made by Sagerhorn to date, but the window of opportunity for the hearing has not passed.
Sagerhorn, reached Tuesday at his home, declined comment on the case.
Source: The Daily Journal
http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/articl...news01.txt