Video shows Homestead Christian school teacher tape boy's mouth shut, cops say

New surveillance video shows the moment police said a teacher at a Christian school in Homestead taped a boy’s mouth shut during a Bible scripture reading.

Michael Alvarez, a teacher at First United Methodist Christian School, was arrested Monday on a simple battery charge in the incident, Homestead Police said.

According to an arrest report, the 13-year-old boy said he was sitting in class when several students began laughing while another student was reading a Bible scripture out loud.

The boy said his teacher, Alvarez, singled him out and scolded him for talking and laughing during the reading, the report said.

The student continued to read but the victim said another student began talking and Alvarez again accused the victim of being disruptive and told him to go into the hallway, the report said.

A short time later, the boy said Alvarez came into the hallway and placed green painter’s tape over his mouth, pressing it against his lips, the report said.

The boy said Alvarez escorted him back into the classroom in front of other students and the sight of him with the tape on his mouth caused a disruption, the report said.

He removed the tape and sat out in the hallway as he called his parents and told them what happened.

Surveillance footage captured the incident and showed the boy being escorted out of the classroom and Alvarez placing the tape over his mouth, the report said.

Alvarez, who is listed as a bible teacher on the school’s website, was booked into jail. He was released on Tuesday after posting bond but refused to speak with reporters as he left jail.

NBC6 has reached out to the school for a statement and was waiting to hear back.

The investigation into the incident remains active, police said.