KINGSTON, Jamaica— The teacher seen in the viral video issuing murder threats to a student at the Pembroke Hall High School in St Andrew, has sought to explain the actions leading up to her reaction.

In a voice note obtained by OBSERVER ONLINE, the teacher said the incident caught on camera was the result of a standoff between herself and the male student, who had been accused of stealing a phone from a student from another class.

According to the teacher, the boy she was addressing in the video was given permission to leave her class to purchase pens for himself and other students.

Shortly after he returned, a female student from another class entered the room, complaining that the boy took her phone from her pocket.

In the voice note, the teacher said at this point, the boy become combative, yelling that the other student was lying.

She said she told him several times to be quiet while she instructed the female student to write a report.

According to her, while the student was writing the report, the boy approached them both and continued yelling at them both. She said he was again warned to behave.

The female student left the classroom momentarily, when she returned, the teacher said the boy once again started to verbally attack both her and the student.

“That is when I lost it,” the teacher said in the voice note.

Since the incident, which took place on Thursday, the school administration has launched an investigation and Minister with responsibility for Education Karl Samuda has requested a formal report.

The minister yesterday said “the behaviour displayed is unnacceptable. It has no place in our schools”.