Mother says teacher abused her son

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (KRQE) - As investigations continue into whether a Rio Rancho teacher put his hands on a young boy in class Thursday, KRQE spoke with the boy's mother.

The mother, who asked to remain anonymous, says her son has complained about this teacher yelling at him a lot throughout the school year.  This time, she says, he went much further.

“[My son] is a really good kid. He didn't deserve this at all," she said.

The boy's mom says the sixth-grade science teacher abused her 11-year-old son in class at Rio Rancho Middle School Thursday.

The Rio Rancho school district and police aren't releasing any names, but they say the teacher is on paid suspension as they investigate.

Parents say it is Ken Boyd. On his profile on the school's website, Boyd includes a quote from Plato: “Do not train children to learning by force or harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds..."

The mother says on Thursday she got a call from her son crying and saying he was left sitting in a dark classroom alone for 15 minutes after his teacher was rough with him.

“I guess [the teacher] choked him," the mother said.  "He had thrown him to the desk and abused him. He was frightened and scared.”

Another parent told News 13 Thursday his son witnessed the teacher putting his hands near the student's neck and grabbing him by the collar to make him sit down.

We asked the mother what led up to this incident.

“[The teacher] had just told [my son] he was being annoying and my son said, ‘Well, I'm not doing anything,’ and he told him to sit down," she said.  "So, he sat down, and then it led to this abuse."

Rio Rancho police say there are no warrants or charges against the science teacher at this point in the investigation.

A Rio Rancho Public Schools spokesperson says the teacher the district is investigating started with the district in October.