A gym teacher at Benjamin Cardozo High School in Bayside has been arrested and charged with harassment and endangering the welfare of a child after he was caught on video slamming a 14-year-old student up against a wall and wrestling him to the ground.
According to police, the incident occurred on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 11:15 a.m., when Colin McNally, 58, got into a confrontation with the teen who had just finished playing basketball at the gym.
According to reports, the boy was walking out of the gym with the basketball and McNally took the ball and was heading to the dean’s office.
Video obtained by ABC 7 Eyewitness News shows McNally, wearing shorts, taking the basketball from the student. When the boy attempted to take back the basketball, McNally grabbed him by his shirt and wrestled him to the ground. He then slammed the boy against the wall, as students looked on.
The incident is currently being investigated by the NYPD and the city Department of Education (DOE).
“These are incredibly disturbing allegations, and Mr. McNally was immediately removed from the classroom away from students, pending the outcome of the investigation,” said Nathaniel Styer, a spokesperson for the DOE.
