Man Allegedly Stabs Child With Scissors Over School Suspension

A Wisconsin man was arrested Monday for allegedly harming a young child as a punishment for being suspended from school.

James L. Getz of Racine was the subject of a criminal complaint after the 7-year-old boy told school faculty members of the physical abuse.

The boy went to his school’s nurse and a teacher to tell them about his injuries, the Journal Times reported. According to the child’s testimony, the 40-year-old Getz allegedly tripped him, causing “obvious and visible” facial injuries from the fall.

Once the child was on the ground, Getz then reportedly used a pair of scissors to stab the boy in the sole of his foot. The stabbing left a half-inch puncture wound in the boy’s foot, according to the Journal-Times report.

Getz was also accused of forcing the boy to stay in the basement with the door locked and the lights off. The entire time, Getz allegedly made the boy stand up straight in a corner without sleeping.

According to the criminal complaint, this all came about as a sort of punishment after the boy was suspended from school for chasing other classmates with scissors.

Getz’s bond was set at $10,000 after a Tuesday court appearance, according to the Journal Times. He was hit with a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct with a dangerous weapon, as well as a felony charge of intentionally harming a child with a dangerous weapon.

According to DoSomething.org, a global non-profit, there are 2.9 million child abuse cases reported every year in the U.S., and boys and girls become victims at nearly the same rate.