Student allegation of assault by Burlington teacher Scibek to be heard by jury

The case of a Burlington teacher who pleaded not guilty to an accusation he assaulted a student in his criminal justice class will be heard by a jury Wednesday morning. 

David Scibek, of Colchester, will appear at the Chittenden Criminal Court in Burlington before Judge Martin Maley.

Should Scibek be convicted, he faces up to one year in prison and a fine of $1,000.

Details of the David Scibek allegations

The state's charges stem from an incident on Nov. 29, 2017, involving a 16-year-old girl who refused directions in class, according to an affidavit written by Vermont State Police Detective Sgt. Tara Thomas.

The class took place at Burlington Technical Center, part of Burlington High School.

The incident began when the student refused to do 20 push-ups, according to the student's account as described by Thomas in the affidavit. The student stated doing push-ups was a standard punishment in Scibek's class and that she refused because she had just eaten and was wearing a low-cut shirt.

Scibek "took his fingers and dug them into her neck" in an attempt to push her to the floor, causing her to fall and hit her back on a computer cabinet door, according to the student.

More:Former BPD cop denies charges of injuring a BHS student

Scibek, a former Burlington police officer, said he was demonstrating for the class a pressure point located behind the ear.

Scibek was placed on paid administrative following the incident, Burlington School District spokesman Russ Elek wrote in an email last year.

Scibek's annual salary for the 2016-17 school year was $62,602. His annual salary for 2017-18 was listed as $55,544.52.

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