Jimtown High School teacher seen on camera hitting a student will get probation

ELKHART — A former Jimtown High School teacher has filed a plea agreement that will require him to serve one year of probation and complete an anger management evaluation after he was seen on video hitting a student in February.

Under the terms of the agreement, which was accepted by an Elkhart County judge Thursday, Michael Hosinski will plead guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge.

The agreement stipulates Hosinski will receive a one-year sentence that will be suspended and he will instead be placed on probation. In addition, according to the deal, Hosinski will "attend an anger evaluation and any follow-up" and he will be ordered to have no contact with the victim — a 15-year-old Jimtown student — and agree to pay any restitution that arises in the case.

Elkhart County Superior Court Judge Teresa Cataldo accepted the plea deal and set Hosinski's sentencing for mid-July.

Hosinski appeared at the hearing by video and gave one-word answers when prompted by the judge or his attorney.

Feb. 25 video shows Jimtown teacher grabbing students' backpack, striking him

The misdemeanor battery charge against Hosinski, 61, stems from a Feb. 25 incident at Jimtown High School where video footage captured the longtime social studies teacher following a male student down a school hallway, grabbing his backpack and striking him in the face.

The student’s head hit a wall behind him, resulting in a lump on his head and “throbbing pain” in his head.

Indiana teacher slaps student: What we know about Jimtown High School incident

A release from school district officials shortly after the incident said the cause of the confrontation was a hooded sweatshirt the student wore to class.

The video sparked intense community reaction after Baugo Community School officials announced Hosinski was “no longer employed” by the district and banned from school grounds.

Initial media reports stated the district had fired Hosinski, though officials released a second statement saying he was not terminated, but asked to expedite a previously approved retirement.

Board says Hosinski can retire, collect pension

At a heated school board meeting a few days after the incident, officials unanimously voted to allow Hosinski to retire and collect his pension from the district.

The decision was applauded by dozens of parents at the meeting who defended Hosinski, though the teacher has had his conduct called into question in the past.

At the same meeting, a man, who identified himself as the student's father, accosted school board members with a profanity-laced rant before the vote. After the parent was escorted out of the meeting, he told a Tribune reporter his attorney would have more to say about the incident, but it does not appear any lawsuits have been filed against Hosinski or the district as of Thursday.

Hosinski was arrested by Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department officers investigating the incident and charged with misdemeanor battery in early March.

The Indiana Department of Education's database lists Hosinski's teacher license as active and he is certified to teach sociology, U.S. history and world civilization through June 7, 2023.

Email Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@sbtinfo.com. Follow him on Twitter: @marek_mazurek

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Jimtown teacher who hit student on camera will get probation in plea