Maryland high school teacher accepts plea bargain in assault case

A high school teacher, wrestling coach and former member of the military recently accepted a plea deal in a violent crime case. The man faced accusations that he punched a student at a local Maryland university. He ultimately pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault in exchange for a 30-day jail sentence.

According to police allegations, the man provided alcohol for minors at Salisbury University and partied with through the night and into the early morning hours of last Sept. 7. Some of the individuals at the party were his former students. The dorm party disturbed another student living in another dorm room nearby, and he asked the teacher and his friend to leave. They did leave, but they returned a short time later to look for the friend’s wallet, causing the neighbor to complain again.

A fight broke out between the teacher and the neighbor, and the teacher inflicted a concussion and three broken ribs upon the neighbor. The teacher and his friend were both arrested on Sept. 9. The teacher eventually faced charges that included first-degree assault, third-degree burglary and furnishing (alcohol) for underage consumption. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the teacher pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, with two years of parole upon release.

The Maryland high school that the teacher works for was waiting for the complete resolution of the case to determine whether he will be fired. While his professional reputation may be damaged, it could have been much more tainted if he had been convicted of all the charges instead of just the assault charge. This very well could have been one of the factors that led the teacher to accept the plea bargain because he presumably thought the decision would be in his best interest.

Source: myeasternshoremd.com, BMHS teacher pleads guilty in Salisbury assault; gets 30 days in jail, Carl Hamilton, Feb. 20, 2014