LOS ANGELES (Reuters)
Los Angeles police have arrested
a teacher who allegedly stripped in front of his class of
nine- and ten-year-olds.
Alarmed parents flocked to El Sereno elementary school
demanding an explanation of the incident Wednesday in
which children spoke of the 46-year-old substitute teacher
hyperventilating as he took his clothes off.
The teacher, whose name has not been released, was taken to a
hospital for medical and psychiatric checks before
returning home.
The school sent notes home with children apologizing for what
it
called the "clearly inappropriate behavior" of the
teacher.
But police Thursday decided his behavior was a "criminal
act, not the result of a medical condition" and decided to
arrest him. It was not immediately clear what charges he faced.
"No children were hurt and that I'm very happy for. But that
doesn't change the situation that it's something that will
upset us for a long time," school principal Corby Alsbrook told
reporters.
Some of the 30 child witnesses told police the
teacher took
off his pants and asked girls in the class to touch him.
Others described him as having some kind of seizure or
hyperventilating.
