Student Claims He Was Beat Up, Robbed By Charter School Teacher Over Drug Debt

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Bronx charter school teacher was behind bars on Friday, after allegedly beating up and robbing a student.

Police said the complaint was filed just after 5 p.m. Wednesday.

As 1010 WINS' Al Jones reported, the teen told police that teacher Kevin Pope approached him and demanded $4,000 for drugs that he had allegedly sold the victim.

Police said Pope had not seen the teen since June, when he gave the the money to purchase marijuana.

Police said Pope confronted the student on a street corner and threatened that he would have the teen beaten up or his mother raped if the student did not have the money in a month, WCBS 880's Stephanie Colombini reported.

The 48-year-old science teacher then allegedly beat the student so badly that he required several staples to close a gash in his head.

Pope allegedly took off with the kid's wallet and iPhone. He was cuffed by cops about two blocks from the John Lindsay Wildcat Charter School in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx.

Pope is charged with robbery and assault, police said.