A student assaulted a homeroom teacher and several other school staff at an elementary school in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on Sept. 2. [Generated with ChatGPT]
A student assaulted a homeroom teacher and several other school staff at an elementary school in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on Sept. 2. [Generated with ChatGPT]

The parents of an elementary school student who assaulted her homeroom teacher in a classroom earlier this month have filed a child abuse complaint against the teacher and others, it has emerged.

According to education authorities and Yonhap, the parents of fifth-grader A, a student at an elementary school in Cheongju, filed a complaint with police on Sept. 3 against teacher B, the vice principal and one other teacher — three people in total.

In the complaint, the parents alleged that teacher B had shouted at their daughter after refusing her request to replace a test paper. They also alleged that the vice principal made remarks to A during the assault that constituted emotional abuse.

The North Chungcheong Provincial Office of Education, which received child abuse notifications from both police and administrative authorities, said it is providing legal support to the accused teachers while also requesting conflict mediation services involving the parents.

Earlier, A punched and kicked teacher B in the face and head at around 8:40 a.m. on Sept. 2 in a classroom at the school. Video footage of A grabbing B by the hair and assaulting her spread through media coverage, drawing wide public attention.

Teacher B, a contract teacher in her late 60s and a retired educator, had started work the day before the incident — her first day on what was to be a six-month assignment. On that first day, A cursed at B during a diagnostic assessment, complaining that the test paper was dirty. The school calmed A down and called her guardian to take her home early.

The following day, when B instructed A to retake the diagnostic assessment, A assaulted her. The vice principal and another teacher who intervened to stop the attack were also assaulted.

A, who had been experiencing emotional instability, had a history of directing verbal abuse and aggressive behavior at multiple teachers and students. She was subsequently suspended from attending school, and B remains on leave.


betterj@heraldcorp.com