Ex-teacher accused of chokehold gets pretrial program
A former Norwalk teacher accused of choking out a fifth-grade student while demonstrating martial arts moves in class was granted a pretrial diversion program Monday.
Judge Bruce P. Hudock granted the accelerated rehabilitation program for Stefanie Sanabria, of Danbury, in state Superior Court in Stamford. The charges will be dismissed if Sanabria successfully completes the two-year program.
As a condition of the program, Hudock told Sanabria she could not teach children without the court’s consent.
Sanabria’s attorney, Phillip Russell, said in court that his client wants to return to teaching as soon as possible. After imposing the condition, Hudock noted that he isn’t closing the door on Sanabria teaching, but he wanted to see the results of a mental health evaluation.
Sanabria was charged earlier this year with second-degree strangulation, first-degree reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a minor.
Sanabria was arrested Feb. 24 when police were called to Brookside Elementary School after a “staff member rendered a student unconscious,” Norwalk police said in a news release at the time.
Sanabria told a school official that she wanted to do something fun with her math group, and since she was trained in jiujitsu, she was considering offering martial arts classes after school, according to her arrest warrant. The official told police that Sanabria said she demonstrated certain moves with the class, including a chokehold.
She placed two students, ages 10 and 11, in a chokehold before the third, an 11-year-old boy, passed out from the move, according to her arrest warrant.
The 11-year-old boy was treated by the school nurse, and later sent to the gym with the other students, the warrant said.
After the incident, Sanabria, who was hired as a math coach in August 2021, submitted her resignation. She later withdrew her resignation and the Board of Education terminated her contract in meeting in March.
“I think that her lawabiding life and her respect in the teaching community kind of outweighed the panicked reaction of the Norwalk education administrators who were quick to terminate her,” Russell said Monday after the proceeding.
“It’s just unfortunate because she’s had 19 years of working as a teacher, and she’s going to have to press pause on that otherwise successful career because of this situation.”
In court Monday, Russell said a lawyer representing the family of the boy said they did not object to the pretrial diversionary program.
During Sanabria’s time in the program, the prosecutor also asked that she not work with children.
“This is a case of panic overcoming reason,” Russell told the court Monday. After the alleged incident, Russell said the child was back playing with his classmates.
But, the prosecutor called Sanabria’s actions “beyond reckless” as she was accused of placing three children in chokeholds.
The child told police that “everything went fuzzy,” the prosecutor said, and that his vision was impaired. After the incident, the child went to the school nurse. Officers also told the child’s parents
to take him to the hospital afterward, but Russell said that didn’t happen.
When Hudock asked if other treatment was sought for the child, Russell said the family’s attorney indicated the boy is seeing a therapist.