The mother of a Michigan student has filed a police report with the Mason Police Department after a teacher allegedly assaulted her daughter who was wearing a “Women for Trump” pin.
“I made a criminal assault and larceny report against the teacher,” Capi Earegood, mother of Sadie Earegood, told WILX.
Sadie said that Paul Kato, a media technology teacher at Mason High School, ripped a “Women for Trump” pin from her shirt during school hours.
“He grabbed it and I pulled, I tried to push his hand away and he grabbed my shoulder,” said Sadie. “He just kind of put his hand there, and then he started pulling more and more and I just started backing up.”
Capi said the teacher “had no right to put his hands on my child over a pin or anything else.”
“The First Amendment gives everyone the right to express their freedom of speech. No one should get that upset about someone wearing a political pin,” she added.
The alleged incident took place on December 5 and Kato has been on paid, non-disciplinary leave pending the results of a criminal investigation and an internal school investigation.
“Once we have a complete understanding of the situation, we will take action as needed,” Superintendent Ronald Drzewicki told the Lansing State Journal, but declined to provide any further details.
The Mason Police Department confirmed in a Monday press release that it opened up an investigation after school officials contacted the department to share the student’s allegation. Police Chief Don Hanson said that the department is looking into a report of an alleged assault on December 5.
“The Mason Police Department has been in contact with a parent(s) of the student,” said the press release. “Due to a student being involved and the matter being open, no additional details will be released at this time.”
Earegood is 16 and a junior at Mason High School. She told Fox 47 that she just wants the teacher “to know that it’s not OK to do that.”
“I want this to be a learning experience for other teachers, and I’m not going to stop wearing my political stuff,” she said.
WILX reported that Mason High School’s dress code doesn’t explicitly prohibit students from wearing political paraphernalia.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Sadie Earegood” by Sadie Earegood.
