Teacher and school staff attacked by 15-year-old student in western France

Thursday 30 April 2026 - 10:15

A 15-year-old student will stand trial in June after allegedly assaulting a teacher and a school staff member at a middle school in the Deux-Sèvres region, according to the local prosecutor’s office in Niort.

The incident occurred earlier this week in a school with around 200 students. Authorities say the teenager is accused of physically attacking a history and geography teacher and throwing a chair at a maintenance worker who tried to intervene.

According to the teacher’s statement, the situation escalated after a disagreement over disciplinary issues in class. The student reportedly reacted to what he considered an unfair accusation related to disruptive behavior during lessons. After repeated warnings for disrespectful remarks, the teacher asked the student to leave the classroom and calm down in the school office.

However, during a break, the student allegedly returned to the classroom and violently assaulted the teacher, causing injuries to the face and torso and damaging his clothing. The maintenance worker was also injured while attempting to stop the attack.

School staff eventually managed to restrain the teenager with the help of the school’s senior education advisor, who calmed the situation. The school administration has since taken precautionary measures, preventing the student from returning to class pending a disciplinary hearing.

The student is facing multiple charges, including violence causing temporary incapacity, verbal abuse, and repeated death threats against staff members. He has no prior criminal record and has been placed under judicial supervision until his court hearing scheduled for June 23.

Education authorities have highlighted that while incidents of serious violence in schools remain relatively limited, they continue to raise concerns about student behavior and school safety across the country.