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FALLS VILLAGE — A teacher at Housatonic Valley Regional High School was arrested on March 20 after turning himself in to state police on an outstanding warrant related to an alleged altercation involving a student in September 2025.
The accused, technology education teacher John Christinat, 65, was charged with disorderly conduct in connection with the incident, in which a verbal confrontation escalated into a physical altercation between Christinat and a 15-year-old student, according to police. The student’s father reported that the juvenile is autistic, according to court records.
Region One Superintendent Melony Brady-Shanley said Christinat is currently on administrative leave. He has been employed at the school since August 2001 and has had no prior incidents, she said.
According to the warrant, which was signed March 18, troopers arrived at the school on the afternoon of Sept. 3 after a physical confrontation between a teacher and student was reported. The warrant states that the situation was calm by the time officers arrived and that no injuries were reported.
Both parties made statements to police, which were recounted in the warrant. The student said he asked Christinat what he thought of Aaron Rodgers, a professional football quarterback, and that the teacher responded by telling the student, “You act like a third grader. You’re obsessed with Aaron Rodgers.”
The student said he then asked why Christinat was so upset with him, and that Christinat used his body to push him out of the classroom. He said he later pretended to take a photo of the teacher, after which Christinat grabbed the phone from his hand, leading to a physical altercation in which both parties wrestled on the ground.
The student’s father told police that due to his condition, his son is “barely able to attend classes,” and that he is unable to let a conflict go until it is resolved.
In his own statement, Christinat told authorities that the student was being disruptive in his photography class, standing in the middle of the classroom and interrupting by talking about Aaron Rodgers. Christinat said the student was not a member of the class he was trying to teach.
He said the student “moved outside the classroom,” and that he locked the door to prevent him from entering. Christinat said he explained the situation to the student’s assigned special education supervisor.
Christinat, according to the warrant, said that the student banged on the classroom door, then went outside and started hitting the air conditioning unit attached to the room.
He told the troopers that later in the day, the student confronted him again and stuck his phone in his face. Christinat said he grabbed the phone, after which the student “threw [him] to the floor.”
The teacher said he has a background in special education and is trained in “the safe restraining of special education students,” and held the youth in a “basket hold.”
Christinat said he had pain in his shoulder and groin as a result of the incident. He could not be reached for comment.
Trooper Jean Colon Carattini, who filed the warrant, stated that he reviewed security footage of the incident. He said the footage showed that the student had “grabbed onto [Christinat] and pushed him to the ground in an attempt to retrieve the phone,” and that the two wrestled on the ground.
He reported that Christinat “eventually gained control over [the student] until school staff arrived,” who restrained the student as Christinat walked into another room.
The trooper stated that after further review of the footage, it was determined that Christinat was at fault in the incident.
Trooper Colon Carattini has not responded to immediate requests for comment.
After his March 20 arrest, Christinat was released on a $1,500 bond and is scheduled to appear before Torrington Superior Court on April 2.
