School Staffer Punches Beaumont High School Student, Police Say

BEAUMONT, CA — A person who works at Beaumont High School was caught on camera punching a student, prompting police to open an investigation into the incident, officials said Thursday night. The staffer, who is a teacher at the school, is currently on administrative leave, Patch is told.

Information about the incident is limited at this time, but police and school district officials say it came to light on Oct. 3. It's unclear when or where the alleged assault occurred.

"Beaumont Police Department detectives were contacted by Beaumont Unified School District in reference to a video of a Beaumont High School Staff Member punching a student that attends the high school," police said in a news release. "Beaumont Police Department was given a copy of the video and opened an investigation into the allegation."

Police said that since the case involves a juvenile, information about the victim will not be released. However, they are hoping any parents, students or staff who may have witnessed the alleged incident or have additional information about it contact authorities. Other possible victims are asked to also come forward.

Meanwhile, as Beaumont Unified School District faces yet another major episode at the town's only high school, officials stressed Thursday that the safety of students is of the utmost concern.

"We want to reassure parents that our number one priority is the safety and well-being of our students, and that the Beaumont Unified School District takes reports of teacher misconduct very seriously," BUSD said in a statement shared with Patch. "The District is committed to providing quality educational opportunities for each student in a safe and secure environment. As professional educators, we hold high standards of conduct, and expect all staff to act with integrity, perform at exemplary levels, and be held accountable for results."

The district said it is working with police on the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Steward at 951-769-8500. You can also anonymously report crimes online through the Beaumont police website or by emailing crimetips@beaumontpd.org.

This makes for the fourth high-profile BHS/BPD investigation so far this school year: A teacher was arrested in September on accusations of sleeping with a male student; A second teacher was arrested a few weeks later on similar charges, but related to allegedly sleeping with a female student; And a student made a fake threat about shooting up the school during the Homecoming pep rally, prompting a scare across campus and the community, police said.

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Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone