Edgewood School Teacher Charged After 'Altercation' With Student

New Haven CT

07 December, 2021

10:35 AM

Description

NEW HAVEN, CT — Police have charged an Edgewood School teacher in connection with an "altercation" in a classroom Monday. Deron Beasley, 42, of New Haven, and a student, were "involved in an altercation" and the student received minor injuries and was released to a parent, police said. The incident occurred during a lockdown of the school as a result of a social media gun threat, which police later determined was not credible threat. (Read more about that story here.) Beasley was charged with risk of injury to a minor, second-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree assault. Beasley was initially held on $15,000 bond before being released by the Bail Commissioner, police said. Monday night, New Haven Public Schools spokesperson Justin Harmon said a school staff member was arrested and that the district "takes very seriously any incident that poses physical risk to a student." The K-8 school is officially the Edgewood Creative Thinking Through STEAM Magnet School in Westville. Edgewood Creative Thinking Through STEAM Magnet School in Westville section of New Haven.Ellyn Santiago/Patch Harmon did not note it was a teacher who was arrested Monday night, but said the employee was placed on leave following the incident. Beasley is a "dance educator, dancer, and choreographer with over 20 years of experience," according to the Neigborhood Music School profile. A New Haven native, in 1998, according to the profile, he was awarded the Juilliard Experience Scholarship, attended The Ailey School in New York City, and in 2002, joined began working as a New Haven schools dance teacher. He is also a member of the New Haven Ballet board of directors. Patch has obtained video which purports to show the incident. And while posted to a public Facebook page, it appears to show the student, who, given police charges, is a victim, and a juvenile.