Student: Behavior Teacher Broke My Finger

CLOVERDALE, Ind. -- A Cloverdale Middle School anger-management teacher resigned after he broke a student's finger during what began as horseplay, school officials said.

Scott Porter recently broke an index finger of Jordan Mundy (pictured) as they were wrestling each other during an anger-management class, Jordan and the school's principal said.

"It did start off as kind of a fun horseplay type of incident. Whether or not somebody got angry during that altercation is what is in dispute right now," Principal Charles Bollinger told 6News' Rick Hightower on Wednesday.

The Putnam County prosecutor's office will decide whether to file charges against Porter, and Jordan's mother said she plans to sue the teacher, Hightower reported.

"He's going to wish he never broke Jordan's finger," said the student's mother, Michelle Britton.

Jordan told 6News that he and Porter -- who he said was his favorite teacher -- were wrestling on the ground and that Porter eventually got rough.

"He got me back in a headlock. I grabbed him with his head between my hands ... and as soon as I did that, he said, 'Tap out or something breaks,' and I tapped out, and he grabbed that finger," Jordan said.

Jordan said his finger is broken in three places. Jordan said Porter put his damaged finger in a splint but told him not to see the school nurse.

"He goes, 'Don't go to the nurse or I'll get in trouble for it,'" Jordan said.

In a brief interview at Porter's home, Porter told 6News that he was sorry.

"I love those kids like they were my own, and it kills me. We were horsing around, and I feel sorry for the whole situation," Porter said.