Teacher Punches Student In The Face For Commenting About His Mustache

A teacher in New Zealand was censured Monday for punching a student in his face.

According to local reports, the unidentified male teacher punched the student, 13, on his cheek after he commented that the teacher had "a mustache like a pedophile.” The incident took place during a rugby match in February 2018.

In a statement, the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal said, "The student was sitting with a friend watching the game. As the respondent [teacher] came off the field, the student made a comment about the respondent having a mustache like a pedophile would. The respondent approached the student and asked if he wanted a smack in the face. The student pointed to his cheek and said, 'Yes right here.' The respondent then punched the student once with a closed fist on his right cheek.”

The teacher confessed to hitting the student and said he was taking medication for depression and anxiety at the time of the incident.

"He suggests that his response of punching the student was a 'paradoxical reaction' to being prescribed Lorazepam on January 24, 2018, which was medication he is prescribed for stress. He ceased using lorazepam once he realised its possible effects on him,” the tribunal said, adding that the teacher wrote a letter of apology to the student.

In it’s decision Monday, the tribunal allowed him to be employed at the same institution but restricted him from teaching “until the current proceedings are resolved.” The tribunal also stated that if he wanted to join any other education organization, he would have to tell them about the ongoing case and pay $3397.52 in costs.