VISALIA, Calif. – A California high school teacher lost her job after cellphone video appeared to show her singing the national anthem and cutting a male student’s hair against his wishes, according to the Visalia Times Delta.
The paper reports that police arrested Margaret Gieszinger Wednesday on suspicion of felony child endangerment. The 52-year-old science teacher’s bail was set at $100,000.
KFSN-TV obtained a video that purportedly shows Gieszinger loudly singing the “Star Spangled Banner” while using scissors to snip a chunk of hair off the head of a boy seated before the class.
Another student described the incident to KFSN, saying, “We think she’s going to try to be funny and be like ‘Oh did you really think I was going to cut his hair?’ But she did … ”
The same student said he hopes she never returns to the classroom, saying that he’ll never be able to see her as a “respectable authority figure.”
Tulare County Office of Education officials said in a statement that they will be providing counselors for students.
“Ms. Gieszinger will not return to her UPHS classroom,” according to the statement.