Teacher Is Charged in Stun Gun Incidents : Crime: Montebello instructor is on paid leave. He says he was using weapon as part of a class on conductivity.

The district attorney’s office Thursday charged a Montebello teacher with assaulting three students with a stun gun and threatening one with a knife.

Science teacher Jerry Woodrome, 52, has been on administrative leave with pay since the start of the school year over the incidents, which allegedly took place during summer school.

Woodrome was teaching physics to ninth-graders when he allegedly brought the stun gun to class between July 15 and Aug. 2. Once, Woodrome allegedly placed the stun gun against a student’s wooden necklace and discharged it, Deputy Dist. Atty. Gregory Denton said. The student could feel heat from the charge but was not shocked, Denton said. On two other occasions, Woodrome allegedly fired the stun gun within inches of students’ faces.

Another time, Woodrome allegedly held the blade of a buck knife close to a student’s chin. “He said something to the effect of: ‘I could cut your throat and kill you in seconds,’ ” Denton said.

Woodrome’s attorney said he could not comment on the allegations. Earlier, Woodrome gave his version of events to Kenny Kim, executive director of the Montebello Teachers Assn. Woodrome said he was using the stun gun as part of a lecture and demonstration on electrical conductivity.

Students interviewed by The Times said the stun gun had little apparent role in their lessons, and Woodrome would wave the stun gun at them, accusing students of not paying attention.

“It’s disturbing, the manner in which he was threatening students,” Denton said. “You can teach a science project without using a stun gun. You can demonstrate a stun gun without sticking it in a student’s face.”

A stun gun delivers a powerful but non-lethal shock when touched against a person and fired. Discharging a stun gun against a person for several seconds could knock him unconscious, Denton said.

If convicted on all charges, Woodrome could be sentenced to 4 1/2 years in jail, Denton said. The district attorney’s office is making arrangements for Woodrome to turn himself in for arraignment.