A Kansas lawmaker who was arrested for allegedly kneeing a high school student in the groin claims that the entire incident was staged. State Rep. Mark Samsel was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of battery involving a student last week, following an altercation while he was working as a substitute teacher in the Wellsville School District.
Students recorded videos throughout the day as he talked about various sensitive topics, including sex, masturbation, religion, and suicide.
In one of the videos, which were reviewed by the Kansas City Star, Samsel told students about "a sophomore who's tried killing himself three times," claiming the student's actions were caused by the fact that "he has two parents and they're both females."
"He's a foster kid. His alternatives in life were having no parents or foster care parents who are gay," Samsel told the students. "How do you think I'm going to feel if he commits suicide? Awful."
Later in the day, Samsel allegedly kneed a student in the crotch. While there is no video of the incident, one of the students started recording while the male was on the ground in apparent pain.
"Did it hurt?" Samsel asked.
He then apologized and told the student to "go to the nurse. She can check it for you."
After Samsel was released on bond, he posted a message on Snapchat claiming the entire incident was "planned."
"Every little bit of it. That's right. The kids and I planned ALL this to SEND A MESSAGE about art, mental health, teenage suicide, how we treat our educators, and one another. To who? Parents. And grandparents. And all of Wellsville," he wrote, according to the Kansas City Star.
Local authorities are continuing to investigate the alleged incident but would not comment about the case.
Photo: Kansas State Legislature