Polk County, Florida -- A teacher at Lake Marion Creek Middle School has been placed on administrative leave for inappropriately restraining a student.
Reginald Edge was placed on leave on April 21 after an incident that occurred on April 20.
The principal of the school, Mary Jo Costine, told investigators the student acted up in Edge's classroom. Edge sent the student out and followed the student into the hallway. Surveillance video showed Edge immediately grabbed the student and restrained him. The student then got away and after running around the building, a teacher's aide, Luz Andino, spotted the boy and brought him to her classroom.
Edge then went and got the student out of Andino's classroom and the two were seen struggling again on surveillance video until Andino came out and again successfully calmed the student down and escorted him to another building.
The video showed Edge restraining the student in the hallway. When the student tried to kick Mr. Edge, he grabbed the student by the ankle and the student fell to the ground and continued to struggle. When Edge let go of the student's ankle, he tried to grab him again, causing the student's shirt and jacket to come off.
Andino, told investigators Edge came to her classroom and asked her to help him because a student had run around the building. Andino said she was able to coax the student back to her classroom where she sat the student in one of the desks. About a minute later, Edge came into the classroom and told the student to stand up and, according to Andino, said, "you don't stay here, you go with me." He then took the student outside.
About 5-10 minutes later, Andino said she looked out her classroom window and saw the student on the ground and Edge holding the student's foot.
School records show Edge has been working with Polk County Schools since November 2010 and was previously given a verbal warning in 2014 for a similar incident.
No charges have been filed against Edge. He has retained an attorney and is fighting for his job.
