A Kansas lawmaker has given up his state substitute teacher's license after he was accused of kicking a student in the testicles.
Republican State Rep. Mark Samsel, 36, of Wellsville said on Wednesday that 'extreme' stress caused him to have 'an isolated episode of mania with psychotic features' in the classroom.
He also said that he was trying to make a point about mental health and the need for people to be kinder to one another in defense of his actions.
He has a court hearing scheduled for Aug. 16 and said during a brief interview that he does not know how the surrender of his teaching license or his mental health will affect the case.
He faces three misdemeanor criminal charges of battery following what the local prosecutor described as 'rude, insulting or angry' interactions with two students, ages 15 or 16, during an art class.
Samsel, who has served as an attorney in the House since 2019, pleaded not guilty to the charges, each of which was punishable by up to six months in jail.
Kansas lawmaker Mark Samsel, 36, gave up his substitute teacher license on August 4 after he claims that 'extreme stress' led him to kick a student in the testicles
Samsel faces three misdemeanor criminal battery charges and has a court hearing scheduled for Aug. 16
One student told a sheriff's deputy that Samsel had manhandled him and kicked him, according to an affidavit from the deputy.
Samsel said in a Facebook post that he has seen mental health professionals over the past three months. He also wrote that he is studying ways to handle stress so that 'there is no likelihood' an episode will occur again.
He surrendered his teaching license on August 3.
The videos of Samsel's actions were shot by students on April 28 and were then provided by a parent.
It shows Samsel talking about suicide, God and sex in a noisy classroom at Wellsville High School.