Two witnesses say a Florida substitute teacher kicked a student with disabilities, and deputies say he replied, “Now we’re square.”
Story Snapshot
- Deputies arrested a Matanzas High School substitute on a child abuse charge without great bodily harm.
- Witnesses reported a kick and forceful handling during a classroom incident on October 16.
- The teacher said the student kicked first and that his own kick was accidental.
- A witness later saw a large mark on the student’s leg, according to reporting.
Arrest Follows Witness Reports From Matanzas High School
Flagler County deputies arrested substitute teacher Bryan Schewitz after a school resource deputy was told he kicked a student with disabilities at Matanzas High School on October 16. The sheriff’s office said the charge is child abuse without great bodily harm. The arrest came after two separate witness accounts described force by the teacher during a behavioral episode in class. One witness reported seeing a kick to the student’s leg, according to local reporting that cited the sheriff’s office.
Another witness reported that Schewitz forced the student into a chair and placed the student’s hands on a table. That witness heard the teacher say, “The gloves are off,” during the confrontation, according to deputies. A separate account relayed that the student later had a large mark on his leg, which the witness linked to the contact seen earlier in class. Those reports formed the basis of the arrest made by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
The Teacher’s Stated Account and Reported Remark
Investigators said Schewitz told them the student kicked him first. He said he then stuck out his foot and accidentally kicked the student while trying to block the blows. Reporters also cited the sheriff’s office as attributing a remark to him: “He kicked me and I kicked him. So now we’re square.” Schewitz has maintained that any kick on his part was not on purpose, creating a dispute about intent while confirming physical contact occurred.
Coverage across outlets repeated these key points from law enforcement summaries. Reports described the same core timeline: a classroom episode, forceful guidance into a chair, a kick described by a witness, and the teacher’s claim that he reacted and did not aim to harm. The charge itself is an allegation pending court action. No outlet reported a conviction or a judicial finding at this time. Authorities booked Schewitz and set bond, which local reports said he posted after the arrest.
Why This Case Resonates Beyond One Classroom
Cases like this sit at the tough line between keeping a classroom safe and crossing into banned force. National figures show physical restraint in schools is rare overall but falls mostly on students with disabilities. A federal snapshot found that students served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act made up about 12 percent of enrollment but 75 percent of students restrained. Those numbers explain why even a single alleged kick draws strong attention and concern.
Florida substitute teacher busted for allegedly kicking special needs student: 'Now we're square' https://t.co/2Dh729HFc6 pic.twitter.com/1QPzLfNFdZ
— New York Post (@nypost) October 20, 2026
Teachers often face fast, chaotic moments during behavioral crises, and many interventions rely on staff using their own bodies, not devices. That can blur whether a move was a block, a guide, or a strike. The legal system then focuses on intent and injury. In Florida, child abuse charges turn on whether someone intentionally caused harm to a minor. Prosecutors must prove that mental state, not just that contact happened. This case will likely hinge on that point.
What Comes Next in Flagler County
Deputies have made an arrest, and prosecutors will decide how to proceed. The school district has not issued a detailed public accounting in the reporting reviewed, leaving the sheriff’s narrative most visible for now. Any further disclosures may include classroom reports or additional witness statements, subject to student privacy rules. Until then, the case stands on the accounts described by law enforcement and the teacher’s own statement denying intent to harm.
Sources:
nypost.com, wftv.com, ouci.dntb.gov.ua
