School employee arrested when chokehold demonstration goes awry, Connecticut cops say

A Connecticut elementary school employee was arrested after a student was rendered unconscious during an in-class chokehold demonstration, police said.

The employee, a 50-year-old math coach, “demonstrated a martial arts (chokehold) on three fifth-grade students” on Feb. 24 at Brookside Elementary School in Norwalk, according to a police news release.

As a result, one student was knocked unconscious, Norwalk police said.

The child was promptly treated by the school nurse.

An attorney for the employee could not immediately be reached for comment by McClatchy News on March 6.

Following a special victim’s unit investigation, the employee was arrested March 3 at her home in Danbury, police said.

She has been charged with second-degree strangulation, risk of injury to a minor and first-degree reckless endangerment, police said. Her bond was set at $20,000.

After the incident, the employee resigned from her position, according to a statement from Norwalk Public Schools.

“The safety of our students is our first concern, and we immediately investigated the situation involving (the employee) when it occurred,” the statement said. “Fortunately, the student did not sustain any permanent injury.”

Norwalk is about 50 miles northeast of New York City.

This story was originally published March 6, 2023 at 1:21 PM with the headline "School employee arrested when chokehold demonstration goes awry, Connecticut cops say."