Student charged after alleged in-school assault on East Helena teacher

An East Helena teacher was assaulted by a student on Thursday inside a classroom, according to an email sent to parents by Superintendent Dan Rispens and video circulating online.

The letter informed parents of the altercation and that Rispens would be working with the high school's administrators and consulting with attorneys to manage the district's response.

A video surfaced online showing the incident, in which a student in a black sweatshirt removed his hat and hit the teacher with a closed fist roughly 10 times in four seconds. The teacher yelled and ran out of the classroom away from the student, the video showed.

Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton confirmed Friday the juvenile was charged with misdemeanor assault and suspended pending further possible punishment from the East Helena School District.

"Even though the immediate injuries appeared minor, the teacher was taken to the emergency room for an evaluation as a precautionary measure," Rispens said in his email.

The email said the school's administration would handle disciplinary actions in accordance with the student handbook and policies, along with state and federal law.

"We strive to create and maintain a safe and orderly learning environment for students and staff. The situation that happened today is very serious and highly unusual," Rispens added.