HUNDREDS SUPPORT ASSAULT TEACHER!

About 200 turned out in support of the teacher

About 200 people have joined a rally in Dundee in support of a teacher who was convicted of assaulting two pupils.

Last month, Mike Barile, 51, was found guilty of grabbing a 15-year-old by the jumper and pinning another boy against a wall.

However, the sheriff admonished him because he had suffered extreme abuse and used minimal force.

Since the conviction, windows at Mr Barile's home have been smashed and eggs have been thrown.

There have been several other incidents of vandalism.

Mr Barile, who is appealing against the conviction, was not present at the rally.

People who attended included friends of Mr Barile, parents of pupils, teachers and others concerned about the wider issue of classroom discipline.

David Young, one of the organisers of the rally in City Square, said before the event: "The sheriff said that if he wasn't in a school situation he wouldn't even have been charged.

Mike Barile has had his home vandalised since his conviction

"Something's amiss when a dedicated teacher ends up in this situation, so the rally is for the people of Dundee to come along and voice their opinions and concerns and hopefully bring to the attention of our councillors, the education authority in Dundee, that something has to be done.

"The retaliation that has been put upon Mr Barile and his family has been an absolute disgrace. Surely there's something we could do as a city and the people of Dundee feel very, very strongly about this."

Fellow organiser Iain Cathro said: "Why were the boys not charged with breach of the peace, why was the teacher charged? And why did the procurator fiscal proceed with proceedings against the teacher in the first place?

"It's completely wrong to use unreasonable force, nobody's suggesting that for one minute, but it's quite right to use reasonable force where a child's attacking you or attacking another child.

"Does anybody really believe that what's happening here is right because there's nobody I speak to who does."
BBC NEWS REPORT.