A Kansas lawmaker who was charged with kicking a high school student in the groin and threatening to “trigger the wrath of God” pleaded guilty to three felony counts of disorderly conduct, according to court records.
State Representative Mark Samsel was sentenced to 12 months probation and a judge ordered him not to use his personal social media accounts, according to a Franklin County District Court order.
Republican Samsel was also told to write letters of apology for the incident, which occurred April 28 at Wellsville High School, about 40 miles southwest of Kansas City, and that he be captured in part in audio and video recordings released by the Kansas City Star.
According to an affidavit from a Wellsville police detective, Samsel, who was also a substitute teacher, spoke to a class about “the wrath of God and how rap music is wrong and children should listen to other types of music “.
“Mark then started talking about how a black boy he knows tried to commit suicide,” the affidavit says.
When Samsel began shouting and discussing the issue repeatedly, an unidentified student put on his headphones, according to the affidavit.
The move sparked a confrontation, with Samsel pushing the student against a wall, threatening to “unleash God’s wrath on you right now” and kicking the student in the testicles, according to the affidavit.
Samsel was charged with three delicate battery offenses and pleaded not guilty. He told local media at the time that the incident was “planned” and that he and the students intended to send a message to parents and the city of Wellsville “about art, mental health, teen suicide, how we treat our educators “.
Last month, Samsel handed over his substitute teaching license and said the “extreme” stress caused an “isolated episode of mania with psychotic traits” in the classroom.
Appearing in court via Zoom Monday, Samsel apologized and said he never “intended for anyone to get hurt,” according to NBC affiliate KSNT.