A guidance counselor at a Ridgewood high school was arrested for slugging an officer in an effort to keep them from detaining a student.
According to police, at around 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 24, officers responded to a call of an emotionally disturbed student at Grover Cleveland High School, located at 2127 Himrod St. Upon their arrival, police said, they found the 19-year-old student and attempted to detain him until an emergency services unit could arrive.
Law enforcement sources said that one of the school’s guidance counselors, Phillip Lo Castro, 37, allegedly told the student to resist the officers’ commands while making derogatory comments. Lo Castro then reportedly punched an officer in the face.
Lo Castro was arrested and charged with assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and obstructing governmental administration. The student was taken to Elmhurst Hospital for observation, police said.
