Como Park High School teacher assaulted by two students

A Como Park High School teacher was punched and thrown to the ground Wednesday by two students while others watched, police said.

The assault Wednesday morning allegedly was filmed and posted on Facebook after two male students punched teacher Mark Rawlings and threw him to the ground.

St. Paul police spokesman Steve Linders said the assault began in a classroom and progressed into the hallway.

The teacher, confirmed as Rawlings by the St. Paul School District, asked one or both of the male students to leave the classroom. That's when the teacher was assaulted.

Linders said it's unclear in what order the teacher was punched and thrown to the ground, and what parts of the assault each student was responsible for.

The assault ended by the time an officer arrived at the scene.

The two students were released for the day, and the teacher was taken to Regions Hospital by other staff for evaluation.

"There's nothing to indicate that this incident has anything to do with events that took place last week, which include a Facebook post by another teacher [Theo Olson] at the school, or the homicide that occurred last weekend," Linders said.

In a letter to parents about the assault, Como Park Principal Theresa Neal said the school would follow discipline procedures in reviewing the incident.

District spokeswoman Toya Stewart Downey said that Rawlings has worked for the district since 1997 and at Como since 2008.

"Violent behavior is completely unacceptable and the news of this situation troubles me greatly," Superintendent, Valeria Silva said in a statement issued by the district.