A former Largo High School teacher faces child abuse charges, after Largo Police say that he had a 16-year-old student choke another child until he passed out.
Thomas E. Farmer, 44, was arrested Wednesday in connection to an incident that on May 30, two days before school ended for the summer. He also resigned from his position at the school.
The 16-year-old student who allegedly choked a 14-year-old student also faces a battery charge, police said.
According to police, the incident took place in a Technical Arts Classroom on the second to last day of school (May 30, 2013).
A group of students were playing cards, when Farmer asked them to stop. The teacher then told the students that if they did not put the cards away he would allow another student to physically make them stop, according to police.
This other student was known to practice martial arts.
The cards were not put away, and the marital arts student was told by the teacher to choke one of the card-playing students, according to police. The victim was in distress while being choked, police said. Instead of stopping the altercation, Farmer allegedly instructed the victim student to "Tap Out."
The victim passed out, and fell and hit his head.
As the class ended, the teacher instructed students to help the victim onto a school bus where the driver and other students summoned the SRO and medical attention.
The school resource officer said that he found a disoriented student in need of medical attention. Medical assistance resulted in the 14-year-old being transported to All Children's Hospital with head injuries. The victim has since recovered from the incident.
At the conclusion of the SRO's investigation, charges of Child Abuse were brought to the State Attorney's Office where probable cause for the arrest of the teacher was supported.
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