Substitute teacher Bryan Schewitz was arrested on Oct. 16, 2026 for allegedly kicking a disabled student. Credit: Flagler County Sheriff's Office
BUNNELL, Fla. - A Florida substitute teacher has been arrested for suspected child abuse after he allegedly kicked a student with special needs and held the student's hands down on the desk, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
Subsitute teacher at Mantanzas High School arrested for alleged child abuse
The backstory:
Bryan Schewtiz was arrested and booked into jail under suspicion of child abuse without great bodily harm.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, Schewtiz was working as a substitute teacher at Mantanzas High School on Oct. 16. At some point during the day, a student who reportedly had special needs, was having a behavior episode, walking around the classroom, and refusing to sit in his seat.
Schewtiz is accused of forcefully pushing the student into a chair and holding the student's hands on the desk, according to a witness, who reported concerns to school leaders. Another witness alleged that Schewtiz kicked the student with enough force to leave a mark on the student's leg, the report said.
A staff member who witnessed the incident reportedly asked Schewtiz about kicking the student after it happened. According to the probable cause statement, Schewtiz responded: "He kicked me and I kicked him. So now, we're square."
The substitute also said, "The gloves are coming off," when the student's hands were held down, according to the report.
Substitute teacher says kick was an accident
The other side:
Schewtiz claimed that the kick was accidental and not intentional when interviewed by detectives, the report said. He said the student was kicking him repeatedly and that he stuck his foot out to block the blows.
When the student got out of his seat with a pencil and allegedly tried to poke other students, Schewtiz admitted that he put his hands on the student's shoulder and "redirected" him to his seat. He also admitted to holding the student's hands down and stating, "the gloves are coming off."
He told deputies that he stated that phrase to let the students know that he was being serious, not that he intentionally wanted to hurt anyone, according to the report.
District: Substitute teacher not allowed to touch students
What they're saying:
According to the report, Schewtiz was not trained in the district's proper redirection techniques and not approved to use those techniques in the classroom.
"Working together to keep our students safe is always a top priority. When issues arise that require investigation, we take them seriously. Our primary focus remains on supporting our students as we work diligently to provide safe learning environments for every student. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated on our campuses," the district said in a statement.
What's next:
The teacher was released from jail after posting a $2,500 bond, according to online jail records.
The Source: This article was written with information gathered from a news release by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, an arrest affidavit, body camera video, and a booking photo from the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility.