Trending

Substitute teacher accused of encouraging students to fight, filming it

CALDWELL, Idaho — A substitute middle school teacher in Idaho has been arrested after allegations came to light that he encouraged students to fight in a classroom and recorded the incidents.

>> Read more trending news

Caldwell Police arrested Ettson Arreola on Friday, charging him with four counts of injury of a child, one count of inciting a riot and four counts of violation of the juvenile corrections act, encouraging a minor to fight, KBOI reported.

A video was posted to social media that showed students being encouraged to fight each other at Syringa Middle School on Jan. 26, KTVB reported.

Police officers posted on Facebook that during the incidents the teacher, “encouraged the students to fight and even video recorded the fight on an electronic device, which was later shared on social media and came to the attention of Caldwell Police Department School Resource Officers.”

Caldwell Chief of Police Rex Ingram said, “The video is appalling, disturbing and unimaginable. This man was entrusted by his community to keep our children safe and provide academic education but he chose to facilitate a fight club in his classroom,” the Idaho Statesman reported.

Police officers said that he set a timer and told the students to fight for 10 seconds.

The school district said it has “zero tolerance for this type of behavior. The personal safety and welfare of each child is of paramount concern to the District,” KTVB reported.

The Idaho State Journal reported that Arreola has been told not to contact any students in the Caldwell School District, including the students involved.

None of the students involved were injured, KTVB reported.