Substitute accused of beating student

A substitute teacher has been arrested for pummeling a disruptive student Wednesday at an alternative school, authorities said.

Joseph Brazer, 35, was charged with a single count of felony battery. Students at the Whiddon-Rogers Education Center had to break up a fight between Brazer and student Shelton Davis, 18, said Det. Katherine Collins, spokeswoman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. She said Brazer knocked out one of Davis’ teeth and broke part of another.

School officials immediately took Brazer off their list of eligible substitute teachers. They have not disciplined the student, but continue to investigate the incident. Whiddon-Rogers is an alternative secondary school for students who struggle in traditional classrooms.

Neither Davis nor Brazer could be reached for comment Wednesday evening.

The trouble began with an unruly class that Brazer had taught for the last week. On Wednesday, students turned off the lights in the room at least once as he was teaching.

“It got a little out of control,” said Joe Melita, director of the district’s special investigation unit. “They were taking advantage of the sub.” When Brazer went to turn the lights back on, someone threw a book that hit him. Brazer had problems with Davis before, Collins said, and believed he was the one who threw the book.

“He approaches the student, tackled him, pinned him down and started punching him,” Collins said other students told police.

As students pulled the two apart, Collins said Davis reentered the fray and continued to fight. Brazer was uninjured.

She said the Broward state attorney’s office would decide whether Davis would be charged in the incident.

The district hired Brazer as a substitute in August 2005.