MESQUITE, Texas – A substitute teacher was fired after being accused of instigating a fight between students during class, the Mesquite Independent School District confirmed to CNN.
A video was released of the incident, showing the woman telling the middle school students to set a timer for 30 seconds to fight and to be quiet during the brawl, according to the report.
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“When it starts, I need everybody to be quiet, this is not a joke,” the woman can be heard saying in the video.
The substitute teacher even assigned another student to be a “door holder” to keep anyone from entering inside the classroom.
“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 to CNN said.
The woman had been working at the school district since March 6 and has since been fired.
Police have launched an investigation into the accusations and video.
The district released the following statement to CNN about the incident:
“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.”