KINGSTON, Jamaica — A 16-year-old student at the Tivoli Gardens High School in Kingston has been charged with assaulting a 56-year-old teacher at the institution yesterday.

The student was charged after he and the senior teacher got into a fight. He is charged with assault occasioning bodily harm. A video of the altercation has been posted on social media.

According to the police report, the teacher was conducting her class when the accused student entered and began behaving boisterously.

The report said the teacher asked him to leave but he refused. This led to a physical confrontation causing bruises and swelling to the teacher’s face, upper body, and breast.

Commanding officer for the Kingston Western division, Senior Superintendent Michael Phipps, said the police have several concerns at Tivoli Gardens High and are trying to schedule a meeting with the principal et al, but it has not yet materialised.

“We are having issues at various schools (in the Division) and have met with most principals and are working together to iron out the issues,” SSP Phipps told OBSERVER ONLINE.

In the video, the student is seen pushing the teacher in front of the chalkboard. The teacher goes and takes up a desk which is taken from her and thrown aside by the student.

Amidst laughing and cheering from other students in the classroom, the teacher and the student drape each other. This was when several other male students intervened and attempted to part the altercation.

One of the male students who parted the fight was heard telling the one who draped the teacher to let her go. Another went behind him and attempted to pull him away.