ELKHART — A Jimtown high school teacher has requested early retirement, Baugo school officials say, after he was caught on video hitting a student with enough force to cause visible injuries.
Baugo officials said in a press release Friday that the teacher, Mike Hosinski, is no longer at Baugo Community Schools and will not be allowed on the school grounds.
The incident, which happened Friday morning, has been referred to the Indiana Department of Child Services and the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department, school officials said Friday.
More about Baugo: Complaints for immediate removal of political material from the classroom
“Any action that threatens to harm a student will be dealt with promptly, directly and sternly,” said a Baugo schools press release. “All Jimmies should be able to learn in a safe environment.”
Baugo Community Schools’ attorney has released a video of Friday’s meeting at The Tribune’s request.
In the 44-second video, a college student with a hood pulled up is seen entering the hallway with an adult quickly following behind.
The adult jogs to catch up with the student, turns a corner, then watches him use the student’s backpack to push him against the wall.
The adult wags his finger in the video, which contains no sound. The adult then hits the student with such force that the boy’s head shoots back into the wall behind him.
The boy falls to the ground after the adult places both hands on the student’s shoulders in an attempt to lead him down the hallway.
Towards the end of the exchange, multiple witnesses appear, including a woman checking the boy as he lies on the ground.
Baugo officials said the incident happened after the teacher confronted the student with a hoodie he was wearing to class. The district’s statement said a verbal exchange took place in the hallway and “inexplicably, the teacher punched the student in the face with an open hand.”
School officials say the student, who has not been publicly identified, suffered visible injuries and medical personnel provided immediate treatment.
“The safety of students attending Baugo Community Schools is our highest priority and responsibility,” Baugo’s press release read on Friday. “If anyone, including a teacher, undermines priority and responsibility, action must and will be taken quickly to protect Jamestown students. Less cannot be tolerated.”
In addition to contacting the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department and Department of Child Services, school officials say they have contacted licensing officials at the Indiana Department of Education.
A DCS spokeswoman said in an email Monday that Indiana’s confidentiality laws prohibit the department from commenting on DCS’s involvement.
The Tribune left a message with the Elkhart County Sheriff. An Elkhart County prosecutor’s office said Monday morning that no charges have been filed at this time.
Baugo School officials say they will fully cooperate with all investigations and provide support services to the affected student.
A letter to the Baugo families on Sunday clarified Hosinski’s standing at the school after district officials said erroneous facts had been shared by local outlets and on social media.
Hosinski was not fired from Baugo schools, district officials say, but rather asked for early retirement.
Hosinski, who has been a teacher for 40 years, requested in January to retire at the end of this school year but again filed a request to leave immediately after Friday morning’s incident, according to the district.
The Baugo school board is expected to vote on the teacher’s accelerated retirement request Monday night.
“Standard procedure prohibits any Baugo Community School employee from being on the school grounds while an investigation into possible criminal or civil misconduct is underway,” Baugo Superintendent Byron Sanders wrote in the letter Sunday. “The investigation into Mr. Hosinski’s actions is ongoing. Therefore, he is prohibited from being on the school grounds until this investigation is completed.”
The Tribune could not immediately reach Hosinski for comment. The Tribune left messages for the district superintendent.
Controversy over political views
This isn’t the first time Hosinski’s behavior as a teacher has been questioned.
In 2019, the North Indian atheists announced their intention to file a complaint with the Freedom from Religion Foundation over concerns that the teacher was promoting personal political views in his classroom.
More: Complaints lead to removal of political, religious material from Jamestown High School classroom
Photos obtained by the organization showed posters and stickers in a classroom with messages such as ‘Proud to be a conservative’, ‘Choose life, your mother did’ and ‘Liberalism is a mental disorder’.
A parent also told North Indian atheists, Hosinski told students in his class, “Hillary and Obama are criminals, President Donald Trump is great and Democrats are liars.”
Some on social media defend the old teacher. Posts on Facebook detailed plans for a student shutdown Monday morning, and a Change.org petition titled “Save Mr. Mike Hosinski Tenure and Retirement” had garnered more than 1,200 signatures Monday afternoon.
Hosinski was named JHS Teacher of the Year in 2020, according to a Jamestown High School social media post†
The Baugo school board is expected to meet at the district’s Educational Service Center at 7 p.m. Monday.
Email South Bend Tribune education reporter Carley Lanich at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @carleylanich†
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Jimtown Teacher Beats Student on Video, Leaves Baugo Community Schools
