Teacher Gets Battered During Pick-up Game

FEBRUARY 19--A hulking school advisor was arrested yesterday for aggravated battery after he slammed a female teacher to the ground during a pick-up basketball game, an assault that was recorded by a surveillance camera in the Florida elementary school’s gymnasium.

During a two-on-two game Tuesday evening at Holly Hill School, Travis Mims, 27, assaulted Katherine Martin, a 33-year-old special education teacher, police allege.

Mims, who is 6’ 2” and weighs 260 pounds, “picked up Ms. Martin’s body, turned her upside down, and maliciously threw her body onto the floor,” according to a charging affidavit that neatly summarizes what is seen on the above video released by police.

Martin, who was teamed up with a student, was playing against Mims and another pupil. Martin told cops that during the game Mims was becoming increasingly aggressive, and that “there was an exchange of words between” her and Mims “concerning fouling.”

“Then all of a sudden Mims violently picked up Ms. Martin by her waist, turned her body around, and slammed her to the ground,” reported cops, who added that the teacher’s “head struck the ground first, then other parts of her body sustained injury.”

Martin, seen at left, subsequently drove herself to the hospital for treatment of injuries that police described as “substantial” and “serious and permanent.”

During police questioning yesterday, Mims said that Martin kept complaining that he was fouling her, adding that she “pushed his face with her hands.” While Mims “admitted he picked up Ms. Martin and slammed her body onto the ground,” he “stated he was not angry at her but did not like when Ms. Martin pushed his face with her hands.”

Mims, whose occupation is listed by cops as “campus advisor,” was arrested last night on a felony battery charge and booked into the Volusia County jail, where the above mug shot was taken. He was later released after posting $2500 bond. (2 pages)