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Fall River Substitute Teacher Fired After Being Accused Of Choking Student

FALL RIVER (CBS) -- A Fall River substitute teacher has been fired after allegedly choking a student at the Talbot Middle School last week, Fall River police said Thursday.

Fall River police said their officer assigned to the school, resource officer Kelly Furtado, responded to a classroom disturbance to find the 62-year-old male substitute teacher, who has not yet been named, straddling a 12-year-old student's chest with both hands around the student's neck.

Officer Furtado then separated the student and teacher. The student, whose head was also hit on the floor, was taken to the school nurse for evaluation, and the substitute teacher left the building.

According to Fall River police, the student who was allegedly choked had intervened in an altercation between the substitute teacher and another student.

The teacher has been summoned to court for strangulation and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (floor). Police could not yet release his identity, as he had not yet been arraigned.

The school contacted the student's guardian, as well as the Department of Children and Families, Fall River police said.

Fall River School District Chief of Operations Tom Coogan said the teacher was immediately terminated after the administration learned of the accusations against him.

Coogan said the teacher had been properly vetted through the CORI system, as well as all other appropriate background checks.

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