ELKHART, Ind. — A northern Indiana teacher accused of grabbing a student and slapping him across the face has been charged with battery causing moderate injury.
A judge on Friday found there was probable cause for the charge against former Jimtown High School teacher Michael Hosinski, 61, of Osceola. The offense is a felony that could carry a sentence of six months to 2 1/2 years in prison.
In court documents filed Friday, officials describe their investigation of the Feb. 25 incident in which a video appears to show Hosinski grab a student by his backpack, force him into a wall and strike him across the face.
The student told an officer that Hosinski followed him down a school hallway after Hosinski asked the student to leave his classroom. The student said Hosinski grabbed his bookbag, then hit him across the face with an open hand causing his head to strike the wall behind him.
The boy told the officer the impact caused him “throbbing” pain in his head along with a bloody nose and lip. The officer observed an abrasion and lump on the student’s head, as well as an abrasion in his mouth, court records state.
Court records show Hosinski was released after his Thursday arrest on a $1,500 bond. An initial hearing is scheduled for next Thursday.
On Monday, the Baugo Community Schools board granted Hosinski’s request for immediate retirement. The teacher had previously planned to retire at the end of the school year.
The Associated Press has been unable to reach Hosinski for comment.
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