A Queens, New York teacher was arrested after being accused of viciously throwing a Black student against a wall and slamming him to the ground.
Colin McNally, 58, a physical education teacher at the Benjamin N. Cardozo High School, was captured on video assaulting the 14-year-old student, ABC 7 reported.
On Wednesday, the incident happened at around 11:15 a.m when the student had just finished playing basketball inside the gym. After McNally spotted the ninth-grader, he was reportedly headed to the dean’s office.
Video obtained by @abc7ny shows a teacher roughing up a student inside a premiere high school in #NYC. Colin McNally is now charged with harassment & endangering the welfare of a child. Complete story today at 5 on #abc7ny what the @NYCSchools @DOEChancellor has today @NYCMayor pic.twitter.com/6ZAce4XI8T
— Kemberly Richardson (@kemrichardson7) February 17, 2022
After the teen tried to get the ball back, the teacher seemingly attacked the student out of nowhere by grabbing him by the shirt and slamming him into a wall before plunging him to the ground.
According to the New York Post, officials filed a criminal complaint against the teacher, citing the altercation between Mcnally and the teen.
“I pushed a kid against the wall, and then I pushed him to the ground,” the teacher confessed, according to the complaint.
Though the student did not report any injuries, police said the educator’s alleged actions caused “annoyance and alarm” to the 14-year-old, the complaint said.
Police arrested McNally on school grounds after arriving at the scene.
While the clip only lasted 16 seconds, many students talked about the viral incident on Thursday.
The former educator was a PE teacher and a coach for the Varsity boy’s tennis. He was arrested and charged with second-degree harassment and endangering the welfare of a child. He was later released.
“These are incredibly disturbing allegations, and Mr. McNally was immediately removed from the classroom away from students, pending the outcome of the investigation,” Department of Education spokesman Nathaniel Styerfrom said in a statement.
This isn’t the first time a Black student has been assaulted by a teacher or faculty member in a school setting.
Last month, a Kentucky teacher was fired after a cell phone video captured him attacking a Black student and pulling his hair, News Onyx reported.
The Jefferson County Public Schools terminated William Bennett on Dec. 16 for his actions against 16-year-old Jamir Strane.
