"Who Reported Our Child?" Parent Strangles Teacher in Classroom

Incident Occurs in 5th Grade Classroom in Incheon Elementary School
Teacher Choked During Class, Called "Incompetent"
Both Sides Claim Fault, Prosecution Demands 2-Year Prison Sentence

A parent in their 30s who entered an elementary school classroom during class, strangled the teacher, and used abusive language has been brought to trial.

According to the legal community on the 2nd, at the sentencing hearing held on the 24th of last month at the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 9 (Judge Jeong Hee-young), the prosecution requested a two-year prison sentence for a woman in her 30s, Ms. A, on charges including injury.

Ms. A is accused of entering a 5th-grade classroom at an elementary school in Incheon in November 2021, strangling the neck of teacher Mr. B during class, and pulling his arm, causing injury. She is also charged with emotionally abusing not only Mr. B but also the students present in the classroom by using abusive language.

At the time, Ms. A reportedly visited the school with two men after receiving notification that her son, Mr. C, was being referred to the School Violence Countermeasure Committee (Hakpokwi) as a perpetrator of school violence.

Ms. A verbally abused Mr. B, who was teaching at the time, saying, "You are not even qualified to be a teacher. I will report this to the police, the Office of Education, and the Minister of Education," and shouted at about ten students in the classroom, asking, "Who reported my child?"

After the incident, Ms. A filed a complaint against Mr. B for assault and child abuse, but the police cleared Mr. B of charges. The Incheon Office of Education reportedly filed a complaint against Ms. A with the police in January last year based on the Special Act on the Improvement of Teachers' Status and Protection of Educational Activities.

The Incheon Teachers' Union stated, "Mr. B was the homeroom teacher of the class next to Mr. C’s, and there were students in Mr. B’s class who were victims of school violence by Mr. C. The victim students reported to the 117 School Violence Reporting Center. However, Ms. A claimed that 'Mr. B made the students report him.'"

They added, "Ms. A unlawfully entered the classroom during class, verbally abused and threatened the teacher in front of the students, caused injury, dragged the teacher into the hallway, and later falsely accused the teacher of child abuse and mutual assault."

The Incheon Teachers' Union and others collected over 170 petitions calling for strict punishment through a signature campaign among teachers nationwide and plan to submit these petitions to the court, reflecting the teachers' collective will.

Ms. A’s sentencing hearing is scheduled to be held at 2 p.m. on the 23rd at the Incheon District Court.