Teacher accused of burning students not facing charges
An Oregon science teacher who is accused of using a Tesla coil to burn messages into at least eight students’ arms was arrested Wednesday.
On Thursday, Marion County district attorney Doug Hanson told The Guardian his office decided not to charge Samuel Dufner, 37, on two counts of criminal mistreatment.
Dufner is alleged by students to have used a Tesla coil to burn “I ♥ Mom” into the arms of his 15-year-old students, police said. A parent of one of the students reported the incident.
A Tesla coil is a device that produces an electrical charge.
“This was a new one for me,” Salem Police Lt. Steve Burr said. “I had to look up Tesla coil on Wikipedia this morning.”
The marks were expected to fade, Burr said, but he told Reuters the injuries could leave a scar.
Dunfer posted $2,000 bail. He remains on administrative leave.
Contact Kristen DeSilva at 702-477-3895 or kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva
Reuters contributed to this report.
