Mesquite ISD substitute teacher fired, arrested after she 'encouraged students to fight each other'
MESQUITE (CBSNewsTexas.com) -- A substitute teacher at a Mesquite ISD middle school was fired and arrested after she "encouraged students to fight each other during class," the district said.
Natally Garcia, 24, has been charged with four counts of endangering a child.
A district spokesperson confirmed the incident to CBS News Texas, saying that on Thursday they learned of a video showing fights the day before, in a Kimbrough Middle School classroom. They began an "immediate investigation," according to an emailed statement.
"Our investigation revealed that this substitute teacher encouraged students to fight each other during class, outlined rules for the students to follow and even instructed a student to monitor the classroom door while the fights took place," the statement said.
Garcia had been working for the district since March 6 before she was fired on Thursday. The district called her actions "appalling and intolerable," and said the incident was referred to the Mesquite Police Department to "pursue possible criminal charges."
Campus administrators personally called the parents of every student in the class on Thursday afternoon to "inform them of the situation and the school's swift response," according to the statement.
The district told CBS News Texas reporter Steve Pickett that Garcia passed all background checks and had strong references.
"As educators, our hearts are heavy knowing that an individual entrusted with the supervision and care of our students could behave in this manner, and we share the disgust that the families of students in this class must feel," the statement reads.