Education
Teacher Arrested After Forcibly Chopping Student’s Hair While Singing The National Anthem
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A California teacher was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment after a video showed her chopping at least one student’s hair while belting the national anthem.
Science teacher Margaret Gieszinger, 52, was arrested after reports of felony child endangerment and her bail was set to $100,000, the Visalia Times-Delta reported Wednesday. The incident took place at University Preparatory High School in Visalia, California. Police responded to the incident Wednesday.
“You’re not done!” the teacher said in the video as she motions a male student to sit down. “Take a seat.”
She then sang a line from the anthem as she cut the student’s hair and threw a piece behind her, according to the video obtained by ABC30.
Another shot shows students screaming and running away as the teacher had her hand lifted with what appeared to be scissors in her hands.
“All students are safe,” Principal Eric Thiessen said, according to the Times-Delta.
Gieszinger was apparently having a breakdown, ABC30 reporter Christina Fan posted on Facebook.
“She is usually all smiles and laughs,” student Lilli Gates said, according to the Times-Delta. “This is not the Miss G. we know and love.”
Problems began Monday, according to parent Sara Rocha. She said Gieszinger blamed students after a test went missing and the teacher allegedly made a student cry. Students told administrators but were allegedly told to go back to class.
“We have to take it seriously when (students) come to us,” Rocha said, the Times-Delta reported. “We absolutely need to listen to kids. This breaks my heart.”
Gieszinger’s credentials were suspended twice, once in 2007 and another time in 2016. The suspensions lasted two weeks each. It is unclear what the suspensions were for, according to the Times-Delta.
“The staff at University Preparatory High School and the administration at the Tulare County Office of Education are deeply concerned for the students who were subjected to the disturbing behavior in Margaret Gieszinger’s class yesterday morning,” Robert Herman, Tulare County Office of Education public information officer, said in an emailed statement to The Daily Caller News Foundation. “To support all students on the UPHS campus today, we have sent top counselors from our mental health services program. They will continue to be available to the students as long as necessary.”
Herman added Gieszinger will not be returning to “her UPHS classroom.”
Visalia is nearly 190 miles north of Los Angeles.
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