A teacher at Santa Monica High School has been placed on indefinite leave after a video surfaced on Friday showing him in a physical altercation with a student.
The video shows science teacher and wrestling coach Mark Black attempting to tackle and take down an unidentified student. Several other students appear to be in the classroom during the altercation.
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Supt. Sandra Lyon called the video “alarming” and “disturbing.” Black and the student are seen knocking over chairs and desks, with Black ultimately pinning the male student on the ground.
In the aftermath of the video’s circulation, many parents and Board of Education member Oscar de la Torre defended Black’s actions. De la Torre told the LA Times that the fight was the result of a “conflict over drug use.”
He told the Times the incident reflects a “drug problem” at SaMoHi that “we need to address.”
An independent investigation into the incident is pending, according to Lyon.