Teacher charged with assault
TROY, N.Y. » A Troy Middle School teacher is accused of shoving two students into a wall back in March.
According to Troy City Court officials, David Laiacona pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor charges of third-degree assault, and two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child. He was released under his own recognizance.
The names of the two students involved were redacted from court documents. The documents contained statements from each child.
According to one child, on March 15 at the Troy Middle School at around 12:30 p.m., the child was in Laiacona’s classroom holding a door shut, not letting other children through. The child said Laiacona “smacked” their head into a wall, then pushed another student into the wall as well. The child’s head hurt “a bit,” and they were sent from the classroom to an in- school suspension office. The child said they didn’t think anything of their head hurting un-
til the following day when the pain had increased. After the child vomited and lost their balance, a parent took them to a doctor where they were diagnosed with a severe concussion. The child said they missed school for a few days and were unable to attend gym class.
The other child’s statement corroborates the ac-
count of the first. The second child said their shoulder hit the wall, causing pain. They went to the school nurse, then a parent took them to a doctor to have the shoulder X-rayed. It had been sprained.
Troy City School District Superintendent John Carmello released the following statement.
“While the school district cannot comment on this specific case as it is a personnel issue, our procedures are clear. Whenever we become aware of con-
cerns about one of our employees which might negatively impact the safety and security of our students, we promptly investigate the concerns and take appropriate action.”
“The safety and security of our students is our top priority and we will continue to cooperate fully with Troy Police on this matter. We are committed to protecting our students and to fostering a safe and positive environment that is conducive to learning.”