COCONUT CREEK, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida schoolteacher has been removed from the classroom following allegations of erratic behavior in front of students.
David Hollingsworth, a teacher at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, has been reassigned after, students said, he would behave strangely during class.
Students said the teacher would throw balls at the wall inside of his classroom, causing several holes.
“He said he would, like, throw tennis balls at the door or something,” said student Michael Lacosta, “and, like, I would always hear him, like, yelling and stuff, and he would always bang on the door.”
According to one student, a thud you hear in cellphone video recorded in Hollingsworth’s classroom is the sound of a ball hitting the wall, although the footage doesn’t show it. However, the teacher is seen bending down to pick something up.
“He just always seemed like he had problems,” said Lacosta.
However, other students were shocked to heat that Hollingsworth, who taught social sciences and history, is no longer at the school.
“I had him in sophomore year. He’s a cool dude,” said student Carson Weed. “He’d yell a lot but, like, that’s how teachers are. He was a cool dude, though.”
“He was a cool teacher, you know, cool person. I don’t know what happened now,” said a student who identified himself as Willy.
A spokesperson for Broward County Public Schools released a statement that reads in part:
The teacher involved has been reassigned away from the school pending the outcome of this investigation. The school’s administration is committed to the safety of students and expects all staff to adhere to the highest ethical practices and conduct standards.
The Broward County School District continues to investigate.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.