SANTA MONICA (CBSLA.com) — An 18-year-old Santa Monica High School student pleaded not guilty Tuesday to assault and drug possession charges in connection with a fight with a teacher, authorities said.
Blair Moore, of Los Angeles, was released on his own recognizance following a court appearance, according to Santa Monica police.
Moore was charged in connection with a fight on April 4 involving science teacher and wrestling coach Mark Black that was caught on a cell phone video camera. Black has since been put on paid leave pending an investigation.
A 16-year-old black male has also been named as a suspect in connection with the fight, but authorities did not release his name.
KNX 1070′s Brian Ping reports Black claims he was acting in self-defense when the students grew violent after Black discovered drugs on them.
Santa Monica Student Pleads Not Guilty To Assault, Drug Charges In Teacher Fight
School board member Oscar de la Torre, one of Black’s former students, said he feels the teacher most likely acted within his rights.
“He could’ve hurt the student badly if he wanted to, but he didn’t,” de la Torre said. “In the video, what we see is that he’s restraining the student. He even puts himself in a position where the student can punch him in the head.”
As of Tuesday, over 6,600 people had signed an online petition calling on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District to reinstate Black, who is nearly 60 years old and has been teaching for over 30 years.
