Mom punches middle school teacher in class, breaks her facial bones, after sneaking into school with students: Authorities
A mother repeatedly punched a middle school teacher in a classroom — fracturing her facial bones in the process — after sneaking into the building with students last week, authorities said.
What are the details?
The parent got past Lincoln Middle School security on the morning of Feb. 16 because she's short, had a hood over her head, and appeared to be a student, Syracuse.com reported, citing Syracuse School Superintendent Anthony Davis.
Police said Lynzina Sutton, 31, then located a female teacher she was looking for, the outlet reported.
District Attorney William Fitzpatrick told Syracuse.com that Sutton punched the teacher in the face multiple times, fracturing her nasal bone and maxillary spine bones and giving her a concussion. The teacher has been released from a hospital, the outlet added.
“These are injuries that you don’t often see in boxing matches, so they’re quite serious,” Fitzpatrick added to Syracuse.com.
Davis said Sutton slipped into the school when other students were arriving, and security figured she was a student due to her short stature — Fitzpatrick said Sutton is 4-foot-10-inches tall, the outlet noted.
More from Syracuse.com:
Sutton was with the student’s grandmother but the grandmother was stopped by security, Davis said. The security guard called after Sutton but she didn’t stop, said Amanda Hull, a spokesperson for the district. Sutton kept going, making it to the teacher’s classroom. The guard then radioed for help and the principal stepped in, Hull said.
Sutton punched the teacher in the face in the classroom several times, Davis said. Students were in the doorway of the classroom when it happened and then came into the classroom, he said. The class had about 25-30 students, he said.
The principal tried to de-escalate the situation but was unable to, the superintendent said.
Sutton managed to run off and was arrested in the afternoon, Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile told the outlet.
The school went into a “hold in place drill” during the incident, Davis added to Syracuse.com.
Sutton punched the teacher over a report about her child, a student at the school, Fitzpatrick told the outlet, adding that the student had lied about her whereabouts during a school day.
“This led to security being called and then she ... allegedly said, ... 'Well, my mother will take care of this,’” Fitzpatrick added to Syracuse.com.
Davis told the outlet that the attack against the teacher occurred the next morning and that it was one of the worst things he's ever seen as an educator.
“She's going to have some long-term issues," Fitzpatrick told CNYCentral.com regarding the teacher. "I know her nasal passages were severely affected by it." He also hinted to CNYCentral why the attack took place: "You have a child disciplined, and the reaction from the parent is, 'I'm going to come to school and beat up the teacher.'"
Sutton was charged with second-degree assault (injury to school official) and third-degree burglary, Syracuse.com said, adding that Fitzpatrick noted the DA's office is investigating potential charges against the student’s grandmother.
Sutton was held in the Onondaga County Justice Center jail until she made bond, Fitzpatrick added to Syracuse.com; he also said both charges against Sutton carry a maximum of seven years in prison.
Syracuse schools responds to teacher being attacked youtu.be
Grandmother speaks out
Roxanne Thompkins — Sutton's mother and the student's grandmother — spoke to CNYCentral as part of a separate story, saying, "I’m sorry the teacher got hurt."
“That was never supposed to be that way,” Thompkins told CNYCentral. “I apologize for that, and I hope she recovers. There’s always a better way to handle stuff, and we were going to talk at the school to have a conversation, with the school, like we have numerous times.”
Thompkins added to CNYCentral that Sutton was angry about unresolved bullying her daughter was enduring in school: “She’s been slapped, she’s been kicked, they’ve broken her glasses three times, they’ve broken cell phones twice, and all we get [from the school] is, ‘Well, what is she doing?’ They made her out to be the problem.”
Here's a clip of Thompkins speaking to the media about the situation:
Syracuse mom blends in with students, bursts into daughter’s classroom and breaks teacher’s nose youtu.be
Thompkins also told CNYCentral that she and Sutton went to the school with the intention of speaking to the principal.
More from the outlet:
Thompkins' version of the events has her and the school principal arriving at the classroom together. Her daughter was already in there. That's when authorities said the teacher was punched repeatedly in the face.
Thompkins said she saw the principal try to intervene.
Afterward, contrary to authorities' claims that Sutton fled, Thompkins said they were escorted out by security.
“We did not flee,” Thompkins added to CNYCentral. “Security grabbed her, and I said, 'C’mon, guys, let’s all just walk out.' I put my arms around everyone. She [Sutton] said, ‘I can’t breathe because they’re squeezing me’. I said, 'Okay, guys, baby steps, let’s go.' And they walked us out the front door.”
Thompkins added to the outlet the school suspended her granddaughter for 60 days last year: “The whole Syracuse City School District should be held accountable. If your kid is being bullied, and you’re going up there, doing all the right things, asking all the right questions, and then all you’re ever hearing is, ‘She is the problem, she’s the problem.’ But her report card shows [some of] her teachers say she’s such a joy to have in class, at what point did she become so bad?”
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New York nonprofit that serves victims of sexual assault and domestic violence apologizes because child sex offender employee may have interacted with minors while on the job
A nonprofit dedicated to serving victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in the Syracuse, New York, area is facing severe public criticism after it knowingly hired a convicted sex offender, who may then have interacted with minors.
Vera House, a nonprofit organization that works "to end domestic and sexual violence and other forms of abuse" and has served the Syracuse area for 40 years, has recently admitted that it knowingly hired Marcus Jackson, who in 2000 was convicted of having a sexual relationship with two teen boys in Florida.
Jackson worked at Vera House as a victim advocate from October 2020 until August 1, when Jackson and Vera House agreed to part ways after more information regarding his past became publicly known. Not only was Jackson convicted in 2000, but he was also convicted again in 2016 for failing to register as a sex offender. Syracuse.com also reports that Johnson served time in a New York state prison for perjury, though when he committed the offense and when he served time are both unknown.
Jackson was also arrested on July 31 of this year for allegedly stealing copper wire and scrap metal from a business. He was scheduled to appear in court on August 25, but it is unclear whether he made the scheduled appearance.
Vera House did not require Jackson to disclose any of his criminal convictions to clients.
According to a statement from Vera House, executive director Randi Bregman "was aware of Jackson’s 2000 conviction in Florida and issues relating to his failing to update his address with the Sex Offender Registry," but was not aware of "of Jackson’s other convictions," which likely would have dissuaded her from hiring him.
The statement likewise says that Vera House implemented "safeguards" to protect clients and prevent Jackson from interacting with minors, as required by state and federal law, but that at some point during his employment, those safeguards may have been breached.
The statement says that "Mr. Jackson may have broken the terms of his employment and had in-person contact at a local hospital with a 17-year-old, their mother, and nurse in December of 2021."
However, the state of New York alleges that Jackson twice had contact with minors during his employment, and a tip from a whistleblower indicates that Jackson may have routinely been in contact with minors as part of his employment.
A letter from the whistleblower, who was supposedly once a resident supervisor for Vera House, states that Jackson "picked up shifts" at the Vera House shelter on multiple occasions, "especially during Covid," which, if true, would almost assuredly place Jackson in contact with minors. The shelter provides temporary housing for both "individuals and families in crisis" for up to three months, according to the organization website. The website also discusses groups and activities at the shelter designed especially for children.
The whistleblower likewise states that Jackson was listed among those "on the call-out schedule" for area hospitals treating victims of sexual assault. According to the whistleblower's letter, those "on the call-out schedule" are often placed "in the room with victims receiving a forensic rape exams (sic)."
After Jackson left Vera House at the beginning of the month, the organization vowed never to hire another sex offender again. However, after consulting with experts, organization leaders determined that that policy wasn't legal and instead promised "that individuals with sex offenses will not work in positions that have direct contact with the people we serve."
Syracuse.com reports that because Jackson was allegedly in contact with minors while discharging his duties, Vera House must repay the state of New York for the cost of his employment, $64,537, including salary and benefits. There is also a possibility that Vera House will have to return a portion of the $1.14 million it received in federal funding because of Jackson.
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