Poynette teacher on leave after verbal confrontation with student

POYNETTE, Wis. (WMTV) - A teacher at Poynette High School is on administrative leave while the district investigates an incident that occurred with a student on Tuesday.

District Administrator Matthew Shappell posted on Facebook on Tuesday, saying that the district “is aware” of what occurred and that the unnamed teacher will remain on leave “pending the outcome of the investigation.”

Shappell’s statement also noted that the parents of the student involved have been contacted and that the district is working to provide the student support. The district has since disabled comments on the post “to maintain the integrity of our social media platform.”

Videos began circulating on social media platforms on Tuesday of the interaction. In it, the teacher stands over the student inside a classroom, who is sitting on the floor several feet away and eating.

The teacher is heard telling the student, “people don’t like you, I don’t like you,” and “you should hear about how everybody talks about you”. The teacher also calls the student a “jerk, “dink” and “dummy.”

The district has not said what led to the confrontation.

NBC15 has reached out to district officials to get more information regarding the investigation and is waiting on those details.

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