LAKE WALES, Fla. — A Polk County middle school teacher was arrested for forcing his way into his ex-girlfriend's house and attacking her new boyfriend, according to the sheriff's office.
A woman told investigators that on Saturday, Thomas Griffin, a 51-year-old teacher at McLaughlin Middle School, showed up at her Lake Wales house, started banging on the door and demanded to know where her boyfriend was.
The boyfriend attempted to speak to Griffin, who reportedly forced his way into the home.
The man said Griffin grabbed him by the throat, cutting off his ability to breathe and pinned him against the wall, according to the sheriff's office. Griffin is also accused of hitting the man in the face multiple times with a closed fist, causing him to bleed and knocking out one of his teeth.
The man was transported to the hospital and treated for his injuries. Griffin reportedly fled the scene after the attack but was later located and arrested on Tuesday.
The sheriff's office noted that the woman's child was also in the home during the altercation, but neither was hurt.
Griffin is facing three felony charges: burglary with assault, false imprisonment and battery by strangulation.
"As a teacher, hopefully a former teacher, Griffin holds a position of trust in our community—a trust that has been severely broken. School students should not be exposed to this kind of potential volatile behavior," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement.
Polk County Schools has placed Griffin on administrative leave while an internal investigation is completed.
