TOWSON, Md. — An 18-year-old student who assaulted a teacher at Loch Raven High School Tuesday morning has been arrested and charged with assault, Baltimore County Police said.
Geronimo Pacer Harding Jr., of the 8600 block of Willow Oak Road in Parkville, was charged with first- and second-degree assault, as well as school related charges, in the attack, police said.
Police were informed of an incident at the Towson school around 8:38 a.m. It was reported teachers and a school resource officer “were struggling to restrain” Harding after he began punching a teacher in the face, police said. The teacher was sitting at his classroom desk speaking to Harding, when the student became agitated. He began punching the teacher in the face, knocking him to the ground, where Harding continue to hit the teacher in the face and torso.
A statement issued Tuesday by Baltimore County Public Schools assured parents “at no time were students in danger and there was no disruption to the instructional day,” the statement read. “Please be assured, the type of behavior exhibited by the student today will not be tolerated.”
The teacher originally declined medical treatment for his “serious facial wounds,” but he later went to an area hospital, police said. Harding was taken to the hospital after being placed in custody. At the time of reporting, he was being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center pending a bail review hearing.