INDIANAPOLIS — The Marion County Prosecutor's Office said charges were filed Tuesday, March 5 against a 16-year-old for his alleged role in an assault of a Perry Township Schools substitute teacher.
The teenager is facing charges of battery resulting in moderate bodily injury and criminal recklessness.
The prosecutor's office is not releasing his name since he is being charged in juvenile court.
The incident allegedly occurred at Perry Meridian High School on Feb. 1. The teacher, Rob Gooding, 75, told 13News that he suffered facial injures in the assault and had been waiting for some sort of development on the student's punishment.
"I never, ever experienced anything like this situation," Gooding told 13News on March 5.
Gooding, who has been a substitute teacher for 10 years, told 13News the attack started after he asked a different student to put her cellphone away.
"I said, 'Please put it away,' and she says, ‘Why are you picking on me?’ I said, ‘I’m not.’ All of the sudden, to my right, I heard, ‘I’ve had it!’ and this kid jumped over a row of desks," Gooding said.
He said that is when the student who has been charged hit him with a laptop. Gooding told 13News he blocked the laptop, and that's when the student punched him in the eye. Gooding said he learned the student was expelled for a year, but Gooding wanted criminal charges filed.
"That’s why I notified the media, is because of it not being taken care of and the kid is walking free," Gooding said. "He should be accountable for his actions and that’s it."
Gooding said the prosecutor's office reached out to him regarding the matter, saying they were looking into the case and weighed potential charges against the student. In a statement given to 13News, the Marion County Prosecutor's Office said their office "does not meet with juvenile suspects and their families" and that the investigation "would likely be the probation department as part of their investigation."
"Until he's tried and convicted, then we'll see that justice has been served," Gooding said after learning about the charges.
Perry Township Schools released a statement to 13News regarding the incident that said:
"At Perry Township Schools, safety is our top priority. We are disturbed by the allegations involving a Kelly Services employee and student at Perry Meridian High School. Perry Police responded to the incident immediately.
A police report was forwarded to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. Prosecutors will then make a decision on whether to file criminal charges. Due to confidentiality reasons, Perry Township Schools cannot comment on disciplinary action it takes against its students.
We can say, however, the district has zero tolerance for violence. Violence against staff, students or anyone else is taken seriously from a law enforcement perspective in our district. Any violation is subject to disciplinary action as outlined in the Student Success Handbook."
"In a statement that they released, Perry did, that their police did everything they did. Yeah, they did the report, they did this, but they were handcuffed by the assistant superintendent not to incarcerate him," Gooding said. "They’ve got orders."
