London, Sep 16 (IANS): A British schoolteacher has been arrested and charged with assault for allegedly shoving a "rude and defiant" girl student to the floor, Daily Express reported.
Science teacher William Stuart, 47, did so after the girl ignored his repeated requests to stop walking away from him, a court was told.
Stuart is alleged to have reacted "aggressively" to the 15-year-old after a gang of pupils smeared food over a canteen wall, Daily Express reported.
The girl claimed she was thrust into coat pegs by the teacher before being pushed to the floor.
Prosecutor Jessica Strange accepted that the pupil's friends had smeared food on a wall, but said that because the girl insisted she had not been involved she ignored the teacher's request to remain in the canteen.
Stuart has denied assaulting the student.