A special education teacher in New York City has been arrested and charged after he allegedly used a chokehold maneuver on a disobedient 5-year-old boy.
Forty-six-year-old Anthony Wicks is charged with second-degree assault, and also with “acting in a manner injurious to a child.” Prosecutors say the teacher grabbed the boy by his neck with both hands and put him in a headlock or a chokehold.
According to prosecutors, the boy said it was extremely frightening when his teacher put his hands around his neck. The boy claims he told the teacher he would “be good” so the man would release him.
Wicks was arraigned on Tuesday, September 10, and was let out on supervised release. The judge ordered him to have no contact with the child. Wicks, a full-time special education teacher, has worked for the city’s education division for five years, according to his lawyer. Before that Wicks worked at a preschool for three years. This is the first time he has been arrested.
Police told local media the incident took place on September 10 in a classroom at the Adam Clayton Powell Elementary School located in Hamilton Heights. The boy’s older brother said the five-year-old had refused to go sit in the “time-out corner” when told to by the head teacher in the classroom. Wicks was present as an assistant teacher.
The older brother said that his younger brother was “making a fuss” and “then the teacher choked him.” The older boy was confused since Wicks was not the one who had been giving instructions to his younger brother. Apparently others in the room said the five-year-old was crying and “wouldn’t calm down.”
Prosecutors say the boy was yelling “I can’t breathe” as Wicks choked him.
The boy’s father said he was contacted around midday on September 10 by the school principal who said that his son was fine, but that the father needed to come to the school. No member of the family has been publicly identified or named.
“It was a very scary moment for him,” the boy’s father said.
A spokesman for the Department of Education said the allegations described behavior that is “completely unacceptable” and that Wicks has been “removed from this site.” If Wicks is convicted, said the spokesman, he will be fired immediately.
