Woman sentenced in teacher assault
A Pittsburgh woman, charged with assaulting a teacher at a school for at-risk and troubled children and young adults, was sentenced to fines in Butler County Court on Tuesday, after entering a guilty plea.
Patience T. Stoddard, 21, was sentenced to court costs and a $100 fine by Judge Timothy McCune, following her guilty plea to summary harassment.
The charges stem from an incident at St. Stephen's Lutheran Academy in Zelienople on March 27, 2015, when the Zelienople police say she punched a teacher in her face.
Police said Stoddard began acting up about 1 p.m. in the hallway outside a classroom for school-aged children and older teens with emotional and behavioral problems.
Two teachers attempted to get her to return to the classroom, and instead, Stoddard called one of them a derogatory name and punched the other in the face.
She also tried to kick other staff members who moved in to restrain her, police said.
A full report will appear in the Butler Eagle.
