A special education teacher in California has been suspended after it was learned that he was running a “Fight Club” in his classroom.
Federico Vargas, a special education teacher who has been on staff at Cloverfield High School for eight years, was arrested earlier this month on five counts of child endangerment and 13 counts of contributing to the delinquency of minors.
Vargas allegedly not only started the “Fight Club,” but also refereed fights between students.
“This was not a self-defense class,” Cloverdale Police Sgt. Chris Parker told People. “It is punching each other, fighting until the other person submits.”
According to People:
Police said they learned about the brawls on March 7 when Cloverdale High School officials contacted them about an alleged fight in Vargas’s classroom. During the investigation, police said investigators discovered that Vargas not only allowed the students to fight but he also refereed the clashes.
‘A teacher was engaged in promoting it,” says Parker. The practice, according to Parker, is called ‘bodying.’
‘It is fighting without hitting in the face,’ he says.
Parker says ‘it looks like they made a circle and pushed the desks out of the way.’
Vargas was arrested on March 9th, but posted bail and was released. His next court date will be on April 15th.
Despite not allowing strikes to the face, Sergeant Parker of the Cloverdale Police Department said there were multiple fights and multiple injuries. Including one injury that required medical treatment.
Sonoma County prosecutors are still investigating the incident.
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