Elementary Student Injured During Bean-Bag Toss; Teacher Criminally Sued Two Years Later

Regarding an incident where an elementary school student was injured while participating in a bean-bag tossing activity in the classroom, a parent has criminally sued the teacher from that time two years later.

According to the education community on September 22, parent A of an elementary school located in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, filed a complaint with the police against B in June, accusing B of professional negligence resulting in injury due to alleged negligence in classroom safety management. B was recently questioned by the police.

In the complaint, A stated that in June 2024, their child, who was a fourth-grader at the time, slipped and fell while throwing and catching bean bags in the classroom. A added that despite receiving treatment for more than six weeks for injuries including a knee patellar dislocation, symptoms such as pain, swelling, and numbness have continued to recur to this day.

A further claimed that B, who was the teacher, violated the duty of care to protect student safety and instructed inappropriate activities in a hazardous environment, resulting in severe injury to the student.

A argued that the classroom floor at the time posed a risk of students slipping while wearing socks, and that the bean-bag activity also carried a risk of accidents during the landing and balancing process.

A bean bag is a small cloth play tool filled with beans, plastic, or similar materials.

At the time of the accident, under B's guidance, students threw bean bags toward the ceiling, clapped their hands several times, and then caught the bean bags again.

This is a morning warm-up activity designed to lightly move the body before regular class hours.

B, who retired from teaching in 2020, was temporarily in charge of the class containing A's child as a substitute teacher at the time of the accident.

B expressed frustration over A's criminal complaint.

Arguing that it was an "unpredictable, sudden, and accidental mishap," B stated, "I have not neglected my duty of care as a supervisor."

B also emphasized that the bean-bag activity was an educational program conducted for 7 to 8 minutes by all grade levels before classes started at 9 a.m. at the school, and that it was an activity encouraged in relation to children's physical movement during training hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.

B explained that at the time, students were instructed to throw the bean bags no higher than 30 centimeters, and that the classroom floor was not in a slippery condition.

Regarding A's claims about the child's lingering injury symptoms, B asserted that the student had participated in a marathon event last year.

There is a strong atmosphere of concern among teachers that A's criminal complaint may further shrink educational activities in schools.

Regarding an incident in 2022 in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, where an elementary school student died in a traffic accident during a field trip, a teacher indicted on charges of professional negligence resulting in death was sentenced to six months of imprisonment with a two-year stay of execution in the first trial, and six months of imprisonment with sentencing suspended in the second trial.

However, education community officials explain that it is highly unusual for a parent to go as far as criminally suing a teacher over a student injury resulting from a school safety accident.

B also said in a phone call, "I heard that some teachers were so scared of safety accidents that they could not do bean-bag activities with students for an entire year. I am worried that teachers will become even more reluctant to engage in normal educational activities."

Hyun Kyung-hee, spokesperson for the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, expressed concern, stating, "If safety accidents occurring during educational activities without intentional fault or negligence by teachers lead to criminal complaints, teachers will fear punishment and find it difficult to carry out normal educational activities. The damage will ultimately return to the students."

She further urged, "The system must be improved so that Article 268 of the Criminal Act regarding professional negligence resulting in death or injury is not applied to safety accidents occurring during normal educational activities."

In school settings, non-overnight field trips are also significantly decreasing due to complaints regarding safety accidents and the burden of teachers' responsibilities.

According to data released by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on September 15, the implementation rate of non-overnight field trips by elementary schools within Seoul dropped sharply from 79 percent in 2024 and 51 percent in 2025 to 26 percent this year.

In response, the Ministry of Education has stated that it will pursue revisions to laws to strengthen the protection of teachers regarding school safety accidents.

(Photo: Provided by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.