Substitute teacher charged with battery after instigating fight with Hillsborough County student
Mar 26, 2025
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) – A substitute teacher in Hillsborough County is in trouble with the law after being accused of trying to start a fight with a 14-year-old student.
According to authorities, 26-year-old Benjamin Barnes got into an argument with the child and used racially charg
ed language while snatching the child’s phone out of his hands.
Barnes is not a teacher with Hillsborough County but a substitute with a third-party company known as Kelly Services.
Although the motive behind the incident is unclear, Barnes was charged with battery. ...read more read less