Teacher busted as two kids claim abuse

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (KRQE) - A Rio Rancho Middle School teacher, now accused of rough handling of a second student, has been arrested and charged with child abuse.

Rio Rancho police reported officers arrested Ken Boyd Saturday morning on two counts of child abuse after parents came forward this week saying he put his hands on their children in class.

Boyd, a sixth grade earth science teacher, currently is on paid suspension from the Rio Rancho Public Schools district.

An arrest warrant affidavit alleges an 11-year-old student accused Boyd on Thursday of grabbing his sweatshirt collar and pushing him backwards toward a table.

The student told investigators Boyd yelled at him "shut up and sit down you idiot" and then turned off the lights leaving the boy alone in a computer classroom.

According to the affidavit Boyd only informed the principal he told a child to "shut up and sit down".

Police say a second victim also came forward saying Boyd clenched his arm and pulled him to a corner of the classroom.  There Boyd is accused of grabbing the student by the back of the neck to force him to the ground nearly causing the student to hit his head on a nearby table.

On Friday the mother of one of the alleged victims told KRQE News 13 her son had told her about this teacher before.

"He had made complaints throughout the year that the teacher was yelling at him a lot, and he just kept saying, 'I don't like the teacher. I don't like the teacher,'" said the mother, who asked not to be identified by name.  "And it came to this incident."

Police also said Boyd went into the principal's office the day of the incident ready to resign and saying he wasn't cut out for the job.

Instead the principal convinced him to take the day off to think about it

An RRPS spokesperson said the district is still conducting its own investigation.