A gym teacher has been arrested in Fresno, California after choking his students with a jump rope. Peter Samhammer, 64, has been booked into jail on four felony counts of child abuse after typing a jump rope around students necks and choking them as a form of discipline.
The Fresno County Sheriff Department received a report Thursday afternoon that students at Herndon Barstow Elementary had sustained injuries during their physical education class led by Samhammer.
Investigators found that the P.E. teacher had used a jump rope to discipline several gym students while teaching class outside in the playground. The deputies found Samhammer tied the jump rope around their necks, and tightened the rope before quickly letting go but the action still left marks on students necks and shoulders. The victims of the gym teachers overzealous 'discipline' methods are ages 9 to 11.
Shortly after the arrest, Central Unified School District issued a public statement, "Mr. Samhammer is on official administrative leave. Student safety is a top priority for the district and as such, we are fully cooperating with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and will continue to do so throughout the course of its investigation." Samhammer was hired in the past as a seasonal employee with the Clovis Unified School District but is not an active employee at this time.
<i>On Twitter:</i>
<a href="https://twitter.com/ErvinProduction">@ErvinProduction</a>
Tips? Info? Send me a message!
Source: http://kmph.com/news/local/pe-teacher-arrested-for-using-a-jump-rope-for-disipline
