‘That’s how people like you get shot’: Teacher fired after video captures threats to student

A Rockdale teacher captured on video saying he might “put a bullet” in a student’s head has been fired, the school system confirmed.

Paul Hagan, the chair of the science department and an electronics instructor at Rockdale Career Academy, was seen in a video this week threatening a student and placed on paid administrative leave. As of Thursday morning, Hagan is no longer an employee of Rockdale County Public Schools, Cindy Ball, RCPS director for strategy and innovation told The Citizen.

In the video, recorded by a student, Hagan is seen in a classroom berating a student. The reason for the threats has not yet been made clear.

“If you screw with me, you’re going to be in big ass trouble,” he tells the student, who is off camera. “Don't smile at me, man. That's how people like you get shot,” he continues, as gasps erupt from the class. “I got a bet by the time you're 21 somebody's gonna put a bullet right through your head. Okay? And it might be me the one who does it.”

April Carr, the mother of the child threatened in the video, said she had contacted “necessary authorities” after posting the video and would not stop until Hagan is removed as a teacher.

Carr’s video has now been viewed over 42,000 times and shared nearly 950 times since first posting on Nov. 3.

“I think it’s a terroristic threat on my son’s life that I definitely don’t take lightly,” Carr told Channel 2 Action News.

Staff writer Scott Berson contributed to this report.

This story was originally published November 10, 2017 at 7:49 AM with the headline "‘That’s how people like you get shot’: Teacher fired after video captures threats to student."