A former Jimtown High School teacher who hit and injured a student earlier this year was sentenced to one year of probation Thursday in line with an earlier plea agreement.
School security camera footage from February shows 62-year-old Mike Hosinski — then a social studies teacher — grabbing a student by the backpack, reprimanding them, then slapping them across the face.
A Feb. 25 release from the school says Hosinski confronted the student about the hoodie they had worn to his class. According to charging documents, the student was left with an abrasion and lump on his head, along with a bloody nose and lip.
Elkhart County Superior Court Judge Teresa Cataldo said during the sentencing hearing that she saw footage of the incident on national TV.
A state prosecutor called it a “troubling” case — if the victim was younger, it would have been a felony — and said that even if a student is difficult, it’s never acceptable to do as Hosinski did.
Hosinski declined to speak during the hearing, but his attorney said he has taken the incident seriously. Under the June plea agreement, he pled guilty to one count of misdemeanor battery. In exchange, he was sentenced Thursday to one year of probation, must undergo an anger evaluation and pay a $100 child abuse prevention fine.
Hosinski was also issued a no-contact order for the victim and an additional $1,000 suspended fine.
Shortly after the February incident, the Baugo Community Schools Board granted Hosinski’s request for early retirement, meaning he’s eligible for full pension benefits from the state.
The incident has also been referred to the Indiana Department of Child Services and licensing officials at the Indiana Department of Education.
Contact Jakob at jlazzaro@wvpe.org or follow him on Twitter at @JakobLazzaro.
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