Minnesota teacher accused of abusing students loses license

MINNEAPOLIS – A former Minneapolis second-grade teacher accused of spanking and slapping his students has been banned from teaching in Minnesota.

The Star Tribune reports that the Minnesota Professional Educator and Licensing Standard Board voted Friday to revoke Hernandez Cortez Evans’ teaching license. He had taught briefly at Bethune Community School in north Minneapolis in 2017

A teacher and principal and other witnesses testified at an earlier administrative law hearing that students reported Evans “hitting, spanking, slapping and grabbing” them. He also was accused of lifting students, carrying them into the hall and locking them out of the classroom unsupervised.

Evans said the case against him amounted to “institutional racism” against a “nurturing, loving black man.” He admitted he had restrained students by holding their wrists and by using “basket holds,” but denied abuse.