14 DAY TRIAL // Gabriela Penalba, a 23-year-old teacher from Knoxville, Tennessee turned her back for a moment when one of her students came from behind and sat her on fire with a lighter.
The student fled the school after noticing the damage he had done with his so called funny prank that led to the teacher's hair and shirt burn in flames, according to WBIR.
Other students, shocked by the incident, rapidly came to Gabriela's aid, trying to put down the flames. Luckily for the 23-year-old who is currently in her first year of teaching, her pupils acted fast and prevented any flames from burning her body.
The incident took place in a normal school morning at West High School, where Gabriela was teaching science and physiology. The student trying to make an innocent prank failed miserably and fled the scene after throwing the lighter out of the window, according to Gawker.
When police officers arrived at the school, the 15-year-old student was long gone, but even so, he was found and arrested for setting his teacher on fire. The teenager whose name is not released to the press, admitted to his crime saying it was just a joke. He has been charged in juvenile court with aggravated assault and evading arrest.
The science teacher is thankful that her other students helped her and avoided any serious burns. Even if everything ended without major injuries, the teacher is probably still shocked by her student's behavior. Being in her first year of study, this may affect her on a long-term period.
This is not the only case in which a student attacks a teacher. Just a few days ago, a professor in Santa Rosa, California was repeatedly stabbed by a student with a pencil. The 16-year-old student was arrested and charged with assault after sending the teacher to the hospital with severe stab wounds.
