Harlem teacher who allegedly threw boy across hallway arrested

HARLEM (WABC) -- A New York City school teacher accused of abusing a student is now under arrest, and apparently this isn't the first charge levied against him.

53-year-old Omsan Couey is now facing charges of assault and acting in a manor injurious to a child.

The latest incident involves a 7-year-old boy who was allegedly thrown across the hallway at PS 194 in Harlem, in what officials say is the fifth time he has been accused of abusing a student.

Couey had been suspended, but will now be fired by the Department of Education.

Seven-year-old Ka'veon Wilson is a bright and happy second grader who went through a very dark time back in December.

"My son is scared to sleep in the dark without a night light," Phinazee said. "He wakes up in the middle of the night. He talks in his sleep because he's scared. It's ridiculous."

Phinazee had to request an emergency transfer after the school's principal called to inform her that her son was the victim of abuse at the hands of his teacher.

"I don't trust this school," she said. "Ya'll waited a month to tell me, didn't care at all about what was going on with my son. You kept it from me. So I don't trust them no more than I did before."

Couey has been at the school since 1993 and has a history of incidents involving children. There have been four previous letters of reprimand on his record, though this one is the first to be substantiated due to video surveillance that captured his actions.

"You see on video that he grabbed Ka'veon by both arms and threw him across the hallway and slammed the door," Phinazee said.

Parents who send their children to PS 194 say they are disgusted by the way the school has handled the incident.

"They like to keep a lot of things under wraps," one mother said. "It's frustrating. It's very frustrating because I'm concerned about my child."

Phinazee demanded an arrest and has support from the National Action Network. She has retained an attorney and plans to take legal action.

The Department of Education issued the following statement on Monday:

"This behavior is deeply troubling, and we are seeking to terminate this teacher's employment. He has been removed from the classroom and reassigned away from students."