Elementary School Teacher Arrested For Allegedly Choking Man During Bar Fight Over Politics

A discussion over politics between an elementary school teacher and his friend at a bar in Illinois got heated and turned physical earlier this week. Police were called to the Pig Minds Brewing Company around 5pm on Monday for a reported fight.

After an investigation into the matter, 52-year-old Michael Belden, a teacher at McNair Elementary in the Winnebago School District, was arrested. WIFR reports that he was charged with aggravated battery-strangulation and aggravated battery of a victim over the age of 60.

The teacher and his 65-year-old friend were making the most of the Presidents' Day holiday with a discussion over politics as they very likely enjoyed a few drinks. The elderly man told investigators that the two have heated debates but that they don’t normally turn physical.

On Monday they did. The discussion escalated from a debate to a physical altercation. The alleged victim claims that the school teacher lunged toward him and put both hands around his neck to the point he couldn’t breathe. The old Homer Simpson, if you will.

The "fight" between the two, which sounds one-sided, was eventually broken up by the 65-year-old man's wife. Belden has a different version of events. He describes his choke as self-defense because the man was pointing his finger in the teacher's face.

The school district is investigating the elementary school teacher's alleged bar fight

Investigators reported that the bar's security footage showed the man "aggressively" putting his finger in the teacher's face before he responded by choking the man. After the man's wife broke the two up, Belden could be seen walking out of view of the camera.

It wasn’t reported what the exact heated political discussion was about, but if I know my 5pm on a Monday at a bar crowd like I think I do, it was a riveting, very detailed look at the current political landscape.

There's no way it was anything other than that. How one of those respectful discussions, while heated at times, turns physical is anyone’s guess. Now don’t worry if that's little Billy's teacher, the school district is all over it.

Winnebago School District Superintendent John Schwuchow sent a letter to families after the incident. There will be no repeat performance of the bar fight in the classroom, rest assured. The district is conducting its own investigation and will take any necessary actions.