DGF industrial arts teacher charged with assaulting student
July 17, 2008
Dilworth Glyndon Felton High School teacher Jerry Waller has been accused of fifth-degree assault for slapping a male student across the face during class in May of this year. Waller is the Industrial Arts teacher at Dilworth Glyndon Felton High School.
According to Clay County District Court documents:
The 16-year-old student, told authorities Waller was joking around with a student when he was accidently hit in the lip with a pen or a pencil. As per the student, Waller became upset and several students began to laugh.
According to the student, Waller then turned to him and asked “Do you think that’s (expletive deleted) funny?”
The student responded, “Well, yeah kind of”. After this was said Waller slapped the student on the right side of the face with an open hand.
The student told investigators the slap hurt and “was hard enough to cause him to turn his head.”
The student’s parents confronted Waller, who initially said nothing happened.
The parents asked again, and according to the parents, Waller said “I guess I kind of took my anger out on your child.”
When interviewed by police, Waller said a student did make a derogatory comment about women and that he did react to that comment, but not to the students laughing at him or his lip being hit.
Waller also said he does not have a habit of slapping kids and thinks maybe “subconsciously he was defending himself,” according to the police report.
Waller, 52, is also a Clay County Commissioner since 1997. He is currently seeking reelection.
His first appearance on the misdemeanor is set for July 28.
Waller, has retained attorney, Paul Thorwaldsen of Detroit Lakes, Minn.
According to the InForum website, Thorwaldsen said Waller has been teaching for 17 years and has not had any deficiency problems in the past.
“The entire situation is unfortunate.” said Thorwaldsen.
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