My DS is in Y10. Like most 15 year olds he can be a bit loud and lary, or come across as a bit a bit sullen and insolent, but generally he is a bright and well-behaved boy who has never been in any trouble at school, beyond the odd detention.
Long story, but today the art teacher was having a general rant to the whole class for something or other, and he mistakenly thought my son was laughing, which he wasn't. (He just had 'train track' braces fitted yesterday and they feel a bit weird so he was stretching his lips back in a sort of smile-like grimace.) The teacher completely lost it, grabbed him by the clothes and slammed him against a desk, started shaking him violently and shouted really loudly and aggressively in his face. My son pushed him off, and he grabbed him and did it again. He told him to get out of the room, and when my son went, he told him to get back in, and not to walk away from him! He carried on his tirade in front of everyone, told my son he was a worthless piece of dirt and from now on he'd treat him as such. (yes, really!) Then he followed him outside, with his GSCSE coursework (a piece of painted pottery) in his hand and threatened to smash it on the floor and told him it was crap. The whole class was a bit shell-shocked.
My son was devastated and went to tell another teacher. Then several teachers all came to see him independently to find out what had happened, and he was asked to see the head and the deputy head. The other kids were asked by the head to write statements about what happened. It appears they were all totally bewildered by this unprovoked reaction, and all concurred that my son did nothing. My son said all the other teachers were very supportive and no-one tried to suggest that he may have asked for it in any way, but even if he had it's clearly unacceptable.
The Dep Head found me at the school gate and said that the matter was being handled, taken very seriously, and he'd talk to me about it when things were a bit clearer. He approached me voluntarily, and as I had only just been told by my son I was a bit shell-shocked, so didn't say much.
The thing is, this teacher is a good teacher, who gets results, but he has a hot temper and has done a similar thing before to another boy, a couple of years ago - they all still talk about it!
I know teaching can be incredibly stressful and teenagers can be hideous and highly provoking, but this is not a 'challenging' school with enormous classes and little parental support. In fact is the very opposite of that. So I can't beleive his stress is worse than any other teachers. I don't want to go in all guns blazing and insist that the man loses his job, but neither do I want to be a pushover, which is my default setting in these situations. I'm too understanding for my own good sometimes! Plus, my poor son has to continue with this teacher for his GCSE Art as he is the only one who teaches it.
What would be the norm in these situations in terms of disciplinary action? I feel like his fate could lie in my hands depending on how much of a fuss I make, and I really don't know what to do. Plus it's a (whisper it!) private school so I can't take it up with the LEA.