Truman School Staff Member Arrested After Incident With Student

NEW HAVEN, CT — A staff member at New Haven’s Truman School has been arrested for causing harm to a student following an incident at the school on Wednesday, the district said.

In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, district spokesman Justin Harmon did not divulge the nature of the incident. However, the New Haven Register reported Wednesday that teacher Paul Vercillo, 46, has been charged with risk of injury to a minor, third-degree assault and disorderly conduct, according to police.

Vercillo was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail late Wednesday, according to the newspaper, which reported that the student was released to his parents. The incident which took place shortly after noon on Wednesday and the student suffered minor injuries in the alleged assault, according to the newspaper report.

In a statement, the district did not indicate the age of the student. The Truman School serves students between pre-kindergarten and the eighth grade.

“The district takes very seriously any incident that poses physical risk to a student,” the statement said.

Harmon said the district is fully cooperating with New Haven Police, which is conducting the investigation. The staff member has been placed on leave while the incident is investigated.