Waller pleads guilty
September 11, 2008
Jerry Waller
Jerry Waller plead guilty to a charge of fifth-degree assault. The industrial technology instructor was charged last may for slapping a student.
According to a plea petition filed in Clay County District Court, Waller will have the charge dismissed after one year and there will be no conviction if Waller avoids any other similar offenses.
Waller also agreed to pay $400 for court costs as part of the order..
Waller has been a Clay County Commissioner since 1997 and also teaches industrial technology at DGF High School. According to court documents, Waller slapped a 16 year old student on the face aft the boy laughed at him in class. The boy informed investigators that the slap hurt and was hard enough to cause him to turn his head. Waller told police that he was reacting to a derogatory comment the student made about women and not to the students laughing at him.
Waller will remain on the DGF staff. Superintendent Randy Bruer said a deficiency letter will be placed in Waller’s file at the school and the incident was reported to the Minnesota Department of Education. The state agency has not taken any disciplinary action at this point. Waller declined to comment on the incident, as the state education officials are still looking into the incident.
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