High school student arrested after body-slamming teacher who took cell phone

PATERSON, NJ -- A ninth-grader faces third-degree aggravated assault charges after police say he attacked a 62-year-old teacher who tried to confiscate the teen's cell phone.

Another student caught the attack on cell phone video and posted the video below to YouTube, NorthJersey.com reports.

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The teacher tried to take the phone from the 16-year-old student because he was not using it for academic purposes, the website reports. The video then shows the student wrap his arms around the teacher before body-slamming him to the ground.

"What strikes me is that the teacher never even defended himself," retired teacher Lee McNulty told NorthJersey.com. "That just shows how much teachers are afraid of losing their job."

"It's troubling that in our society today students think that inside a school they can put their hands on each other and teachers," school board member Jonathan Hodges said.

Police arrested the student at his home later that day. The teen has also been suspended from school.

The Associated Press reports that details about the teacher's condition have not been disclosed.