Elementary Teacher Gets Arrested for Alleged Strangulation Following a Chokehold Demo

Suspicion of Strangulation chokehold student left unconscious Brookside Elementary School Stefanie Sanabria

By Jo Anne Hubert , Parent Herald Mar 09, 06:43 pm

Photo: (Photo : Getty Images/ MARTIN BUREAU/AFP)

A Connecticut teacher resigned following her arrest. According to officials, she was accused of putting chokeholds on three fifth graders, leaving one unconscious.

Fifty-year-old Stefanie Sanabria no longer teaches at Brookside Elementary School, per the Norwalk Public Schools in a statement, after being charged with second-degree strangulation, first-degree reckless endangerment, and risk of injury to a minor in line with a February 24 incident, USA Today reported.

Sanabria, hired by the school district in 2021 as a math coach, was reported to have demonstrated a martial arts chokehold in her class on three students, two 11-year-olds and one 10-year-old, according to a Norwalk police statement.

The act was said to be part of teaching "defensive holds" to her students. Unfortunately, the demonstration turned sour when one of the three students "fainted during that demonstration."

Safety of students, the first concern

Authorities reported that the school nurse immediately treated the student who passed out.

"Fortunately, the student did not sustain any permanent injury. The safety of our students is our first concern, and we immediately investigated the situation involving Ms. Sanabria when it occurred," a representative of the school district proclaimed.

The incident happened on the morning of February 24. As per the school's assistant principal's statement to the authorities, the math teacher told him before class that she wanted to do "something fun" with her math students since it was a Friday.

The assistant principal added that Sanabria told her math group that she was planning to offer them martial arts classes after school as she was trained in the martial arts of jiu-jitsu.

According to The Hour, the warrant stated that when a few students volunteered to participate in the chokehold demonstration, the teacher instructed the students to tap her elbow when they felt some pressure and discomfort so she could release them.

Sanabria narrated that one of the two 11-year-olds "failed to tap her on the elbow." Thus, he became unconscious.

'Everything went black'

The students who were watching informed the police that foam was coming out from their classmate's mouth. One student thought he was having a seizure. This particular student and several others began crying at the sight of the children on the floor, the warrant stated.

When the authorities spoke to the boy who fainted, he admitted not tapping his teacher's elbow because he wanted to go longer than his classmates, but "everything went black."

The other student who volunteered was found to have asthma. He said he needed to sit after the chokehold because "he felt dizzy." He sat down and placed his head between his legs to help his breathing.

After the teacher's arrest on March 3, she made her bond amounting to $20,000 and was temporarily released. She is expected to be back in court this coming Friday, according to WPSD Local 6.