Student in viral MCAST video asks for police to investigate lecturer's 'abusive' behaviour

The student who was recorded hitting his MCAST lecturer after being told to leave the classroom has filed a complaint, asking the police to investigate abuse from his lecturer.

In a complaint filed last Tuesday, the student claimed that he has long been diagnosed with ADD and ADHD, creating a disadvantage in his educational journey throughout the years. 

Through his legal representatives, the student claimed that the lecturer seen in the video repeatedly seeked to humiliate him in front of his classmates, effectively casting him out and demoralising him. This led to “emotional and mental distress” suffered by the student. 

The student’s lawyers said that what was seen in the video was the culmination of a toxic atmosphere nurtured by the lecturer, which stemmed from unnecessary shouting and indecent language directed at the student. 

On the day of the incident, the student confronted his lecturer about an overdue exam date, as the lecturer did not accept this confrontation, leading to him calling for the student to leave the room. 

According to the complaint, the young man kept calm while his lecturer continued shouting aggressively as he tried to intimidate the student. The teacher allegedly slammed his hand on the student’s table and crumpled up his papers, a provocation which was not visible in the video. 

The complaint also says that before the video started, the teacher pushed the young man’s desk and assaulted him first, which prompted the student to lash out. This behaviour was described by the student’s lawyers as “abusive.”

Last Thursday, the Malta Union of Teachers held a protest in defence of the educator, and stated that teachers and educators should not be left alone to face challenges such as these alone.

The student is being represented by lawyers Arthur Azzopardi, Jacob Magri, and Wilfrid Buttigieg.