South Bay teacher's lawsuit against student dismissed
Erendira Rangel claimed student bullied her
Posted: 10/19/2012
Last Updated:
212 days ago
SAN DIEGO -
A judge Thursday dismissed a South Bay teacher's request to get a restraining order against one of her students.
Bonita Vista High School science teacher Erendira Rangel said it was a case of her student, 17-year-old senior Dustin Swanson, bullying her after he received an F.
The two have very different stories about what happened on Sept. 7. While Rangel dodged 10News' questions Thursday by shaking her finger, she fired off the accusations inside the courtroom.
"He came to me and he put his face here," Rangel said to the judge with her hand, inches from her face. "He was spiting, telling me, using foul language, why I had given him an F.
"He was pointing at me and threatening me," she added.
Swanson said it is simply not true.
"None of it happened, none of it," Swanson said. "Just a swear word."
The judge repeatedly asked Rangel what triggered her fear and if Swanson ever raised his fist, as if to hurt her.
"I didn't see a fist," Rangel said. "I just … the finger point at me and his face right here."
Rangel said Swanson is part of a hate group that harasses her, draws swastikas and throws food at teachers. It started to sound more like a conspiracy as she blamed police for not taking enough action and accused administrators of letting the group run the school.
Swanson said he has never heard of the group.
"It's extremely unprofessional on her part," Swanson said. "I think it's ridiculous that I even have to go through this."
One of Rangel's former students took the stand to say she has no place in a classroom and said she threatened to sue him as well.
Rangel pleaded to get protection, but the judge decided there wasn't evidence to show she needed it.
Rangel was involved with another harassment case last year, which was also dismissed.
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