A New York City teacher was arrested Wednesday after he was allegedly caught on camera slamming a 14-year-old student into a wall at school.
The incident began when Colin McNally, a white physical education teacher who also coaches boys varsity tennis, allegedly took a basketball from a Black student inside the Benjamin N. Cardozo High School gym on Feb. 16, according to ABC 7 New York. In surveillance video obtained by the outlet, the student, who has not been identified, attempts to grab the ball back from the teacher while they’re standing in the hallway. McNally then grabs the teen, throwing him against the wall, according to the footage. Another person appears to intervene, at which point McNally tosses the student to the ground, picks him up, and slams him against the wall again, the video shows.
Police were called and apprehended the teacher after the altercation. McNally has since been charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child. According to arrest records, the student was not injured.
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McNally’s attorney and Benjamin N. Cardozo High School did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s requests for comment.
ABC 7 reported that the New York City Department of Education and police are looking into the incident at the Queens-area school.
“These are incredibly disturbing allegations, and Mr. McNally was immediately removed from the classroom away from students, pending the outcome of the investigation,” Department of Education spokesperson Nathaniel Styer said in a statement.
In a general message on the school’s website, Principal Meagan Colby said that it was a priority for administrators to ensure student safety.
“Our commitment at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School is to provide a safe and intellectually challenging environment that will empower students to become innovative thinkers, creative problem solvers and inspired learners prepared to thrive in the twenty-first century,” Colby said.
McNally is expected to appear in court in April.
