A DeKalb County School District teacher is on paid administrative leave after authorities say he assaulted a middle-school student, punching him in the face and slamming him onto a cafeteria table during lunch Friday.
Kendrick Monroe, 45, of Lithonia, was arrested Monday and charged with simple battery, a misdemeanor. The incident occurred at Miller Grove Middle School, at 2215 Miller Road in Decatur.
District officials declined to say what led to the altercation between the teacher and student, citing the ongoing investigation.
According to Channel 2 Action News, students who witnessed the incident said a school police officer tried to break up the fight, but the teacher kept swinging.
Monroe, has been employed by the district since 2000, beginning as a substitute teacher before he was hired full-time as a teacher in 2005.