A relief teacher working at an Upper Hutt school has been disciplined for manhandling two of his students during class and calling them "dickheads".
The incident happened when Kevin Grace, 65, was teaching at St Brendan's School in September 2016. The teacher became annoyed when two 12-year-old boys began playing with a football in class instead of following instructions to tidy up.
Mr Grace then tried to grab the ball off the students but was unsuccessful and opted to grab the boys instead, one by the collar and the other by his elbow.
While moving the boys away from the ball the teacher also called them "dickheads", a decision by the New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal released yesterday said.
The school was made aware of the incident after another teacher found one of the students crying in the cloakroom.
Mr Grace then apologised to the principal and the boys in question.
The tribunal decision found the teacher's actions "showed a lack of professional judgement and a lack of personal control".
"Being called a dickhead in conjunction with being pulled by the collar is humiliation that a student should not have to endure," the decision went on to say.
Mr Grace was censured and ordered to pay $1365 in costs to the New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal.
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