A Kansas state representative charged with battery allegedly kicked a male high school student in the crotch and left him with other injuries while substitute teaching last month.
State Rep. Mark Samsel (R) was arrested late last month on three charges of alleged misdemeanor battery after the altercation at Wellsville High School. He has since pleaded not guilty.
GOP leaders in the state legislature, which is scheduled to have its last day in session on Wednesday, have expressed concern over the charges against Samsel.
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“We are not yet aware of the details, but are in process of gathering as much information as we can,” House Republican leadership said in a joint statement.
After arrest, Kansas Rep. Mark Samsel loses seat on alma mater s board of trustees Jonathan Shorman, The Kansas City Star
May 4 TOPEKA Kansas Rep. Mark Samsel has lost his seat on the Missouri Valley College board of trustees following his arrest last week after he was alleged to have kneed a student in the crotch.
It s one of the first professional consequences Samsel has faced from videos showing the 36-year-old lawmaker talking to students about God, sex, suicide and giving them permission to kick another student in the balls while substitute teaching at Wellsville secondary school last Wednesday. We are aware of the situation involving Mark Samsel. On April 30, 2021, Mr. Samsel was asked to resign from the Missouri Valley College Board of Trustees, Missouri Valley College, or MVC, said in an unsigned statement on Tuesday.
Christian Kansas state lawmaker Mark Samsel (R) | YouTube/KSNT News
A Christian Kansas state lawmaker arrested Thursday after he used expletives, scuffled with a high school student and encouraged his class to kick the student âin the ballsâ while working as a substitute teacher defended his actions as a planned event to get the students attention.
âAltercation is a strong word. There was no altercation. Iâm sure there are one or two students that probably perceived it as one, but it was exactly as we planned it,â Mark Samsel, a Republican member of the Kansas House of Representatives, told KSNT News Friday about his work in the Wellsville School District.
Kansas GOP lawmaker arrested for battery after incident with high school student
Rep. Mark Samsel was released on $1,000 bond and is set to appear in district court later this month
Kansas Rep.
Mark Samsel was arrested for battery after video footage of an altercation with a student alarmed parents. Samsel was working as a substitute teacher at the time.
Multiple videos, recorded by students, showed Samsel discussing suicide, sex, masturbation, God, and the Bible. One of the videos, obtained by
The Kansas City Star, allegedly captured the moment directly after Samsel “put hands on the student” and kneed him in the crotch.
May 3, 2021 2:01 p.m.
A state lawmaker in Kansas was charged with misdemeanor battery violation and briefly detained after reportedly ranting to students about God, sex and suicide while substitute teaching.
The incident occurred Wednesday. State Rep. Mark Samsel (R) was arrested Thursday and was subsequently released on bond, the Franklin County, Kansas sheriff’s office said in a statement on Friday.
The Kansas City Star subsequently reported more detail of the alleged incident, which occurred when Samsel was substitute teaching at a high school in Wellsville, Kansas.
According to video from parents and students obtained by the paper, Samsel followed a student around the room and put his arms around the student.