Posted 11:01 am Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Teacher Arrested For Alleged Assault
By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer
CANTON - A first-grade teacher who allegedly punched and beat another woman at a Little Dribbler basketball game over the weekend was arrested Tuesday and soon released from the Van Zandt County Jail on assault charges.
Staff Writer
CANTON - A first-grade teacher who allegedly punched and beat another woman at a Little Dribbler basketball game over the weekend was arrested Tuesday and soon released from the Van Zandt County Jail on assault charges.
Barbara Jeanette Hughes, 32, turned herself in Tuesday after an arrest warrant was issued by Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace Scott Shinn.
In the arrest affidavit by Van Police Officer Clarence Layne, the officer stated he was dispatched to the Van Intermed-iate School in reference to an assault that took place during a basketball tournament.
The affidavit states that Jessica Goode, the alleged victim, was leaving the tournament because of a kidney stone attack when she and Mrs. Hughes got into an argument after Mrs. Hughes made a comment about her.
"(Goode) stated that Mrs. Hughes pushed her and said 'Let's take it outside.' Mrs. Goode stated that she put her hands up to keep Hughes out of her face and Mrs. Hughes punched her in the left eye with her fist. She stated that Mrs. Hughes proceeded to hit, scratch and pull her hair," Layne stated in the affidavit.
Layne said Mrs. Hughes' husband stepped in and pulled his wife away. The officer also said in the document that he took photographs of Mrs. Goode's injuries before she was transported to a local hospital for the kidney stone attack.
In the affidavit, Layne stated Mrs. Hughes said she was entering the school and talking about a girl they knew when Mrs. Goode approached her and pushed her. Mrs. Hughes said she thought Mrs. Goode was coming after her, so she hit the woman.
The teacher's husband told police a similar story and that he had broken up the two women, but he refused to give a written statement until he talked to an attorney.
Layne said a concession stand worker heard the two women fighting and "girls screaming mommy" and she got several men to help break up the two women as they fought.
Independent School District Superinten-dent Joddie Witte said the incident was unacceptable during an interview Monday morning.
Witte said an investigation into the incident would be conducted by the school district before any decisions would be made regarding the woman's employment with the school.
"I can't imagine any justification for it and as a professional you have to be above that type of behavior," he said.
