Joseph Gullotta and Abraham Fox forces 4th graders to fight as discipline

**Ninja0980** · February 3rd, 2010, 07:43 AM

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_c..._in_class.html

It was the fourth-grade version of a steel-cage match - with teachers playing referee and children seeing their classmates bloodied.

A Queens teacher and an aide orchestrated a sick wrestling contest between students in a locked classroom, prosecutors charged Monday.

Joseph Gullotta and Abraham Fox were charged with child endangerment and yanked out of the classroom they allegedly transformed into a gladiator arena.

The incident happened Thursday, after 10-year-old Tomas Rivera got into an argument with a classmate at Public School 65 in Ozone Park, officials said.

Gullotta suggested that instead of taking out his anger on his nemesis, Tomas should wrestle another classmate, Justin Stokel, 9, authorities say. A girl in the class was told to shut the door, and students were told to stand at a safe distance as the mini-grapplers got ready to rumble.

"Everybody in my class was laughing," said Jonathan Michael, a fourth-grader. "They were fighting over some pencils, and they were bleeding."

During the wrestling match, Tomas' head struck Justin's mouth. Justin had a cut lip, and Tomas' head was swollen and badly bruised. Officials said Fox warned Gullotta that Justin might need stitches, but both men barred the boys from going to the nurse for almost two hours - then told them to lie about what had happened.

School officials learned about the bizarre brawl when a parent of one of the combatants overheard him talking about it.

Gullotta, 29, was sent to a teacher reassignment center - a so-called "rubber room" - and Fox, 43, was suspended without pay, said Education Department spokeswoman Margie Feinberg.

I know it's tougher to punish students acting up in class but really.... this is going overboard.

**backlash** · February 3rd, 2010, 08:57 AM

2 men enter, 1 man leave...

**TheMeaningOfItAll** · February 3rd, 2010, 11:38 AM

Wow...Now those are teachers that should DEFINITELY be molding young minds. "He stole your pencil? Well, let's just wrestle over it. Susie, will you please lock the door?" Idiots.

**Whisper** · February 3rd, 2010, 09:08 PM

OZONE PARK, N.Y. (WPIX) -

A Queens teacher and an aide are accused of setting up a wrestling match between fourth-grade students in a locked classroom, prosecutors charged Monday.

Joseph Gullotta, 29, and Abraham Fox, 43, of Public School 65 in Ozone Park, were charged with child endangerment after an incident on Thursday in which a 10-year-old child was forced to battle one of his classmates.

According to police, Gullotta told Tomas Rivera to wrestle 9-year-old Justin Stokel in order to get his aggression out. In addition, a girl in the class was reportedly told to shut the door and students were told to stand back when the boys began to beat each other.

Students were reportedly laughing when Tomas' head hit into Justin's mouth. The boys reportedly suffered severe wounds to their faces.

Officials said Fox told Gullotta that Justin may need stitches, however both men would not let the boys go to the nurse for almost two hours and even told them to lie about what had occurred.

A parent alerted school officials after overhearing one of the boys involved in the fight talking about it.

Education Department spokeswoman Margie Feinberg said Gullotta was sent to a teacher reassignment center. Meanwhile, Fox has been suspended without pay.

http://www.wpix.com/news/local/wpix-...,6178080.story Theres a video at link