Board Votes to Fire Teacher for Unloading on Special Needs Student

Steve Roth was has 120 days to appeal the decision

The Gloucester County Board of Education voted Monday night to terminate the New Jersey teacher caught on camera unloading on a special needs student.

The decision came during a special meeting of the board. Steve Roth has 120 days to appeal the decision but effective immediately he is on administrative leave without pay.

Roth could also lose his state certification, which would mean he would no longer be able to teach in New Jersey.

In the video, a 15-year-old student is asking Roth not to call him “special.”

The teacher challenges Julio Artuz, at one point, telling him, "You know what Jules, I'll kick your a** from here to kingdom come until I'm 80 years old." Later, Roth gets right up in the student's face and taunts him, telling him that nobody cares that he is special. . ."Nobody gives a f***."

The victim in this case said he was being bullied nearly every day in class at Bankbridge Regional High School. He videotaped Roth one day with his cell phone so his parents would believe what he was telling them about his teacher’s behavior.

“It’s horrible,” Julio said.  “It makes me feel like I’m trash.”

Julio’s father was so upset he turned to the NBC10 Investigators and Harry Hairston. That original story was shared around the Internet.

“I was appalled by what was going on,” Julio's father said.

Julio’s father said when he met with Roth, the teacher told him initially that it was his way of motivating students but then later apologized, saying he was having trouble at home.

Roth was put on administrative leave before Thanksgiving.

The school district handed his case over to both the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s office and New Jersey’s Department and Family Services for investigation. The prosecutor’s office determined there was no criminal wrongdoing. 

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