TROY – A veteran city school teacher was charged with slamming two 12-year-old Troy Middle School students into a classroom wall, injuring both, according to city police and City Court records Tuesday.

David A. Laiacona, 52, of Albany, was arraigned on two misdemeanor counts of third-degree assault and two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child, according to court records.

Laiacona allegedly pushed a 12-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl into a wall at about 12:30 p.m. March 15. One student suffered a concussion and the other student sprained a shoulder, court records show. The students' identities were not released due to their ages.

One student was holding the classroom door shut to keep some students out of the room, while the other student was trying to open the door to let them in, according to statements made to police and filed in court records.

“We were there about 15 or 20 seconds. The teacher, Mr. Laiacnoa came over and smacked my head into the wall and then he pushed (name withheld) into the wall. My head hit the wall. It hurt a little bit,” the student holding the door closed said in a statement.

Laiacona placed the student on in-school suspension, according to the statement. Later, in the statement the student said, “The doctor said I had a severe concussion. I missed school for a couple of days and could not take gym.”

The other student said Laiaona “pushed me into the the wall. My right shoulder hit the wall. I felt pain in my shoulder right away.” The student went to the nurse and later went to the doctor’s where, “they took x-rays and found that I had a sprain to my shoulder,” according to the student’s statement.

The case was investigated in May and an arrest warrant was issued for Laiacona, who surrendered this month, police said.

Laiacona was appointed a technology teacher at the middle school in August. 2005, according to Troy Board of Education records.

The Troy school district declined to address specific questions regarding Laiacona, his background or the alleged incident, but issued a statement.

“While the school district cannot comment on this specific case as it is a personnel issue, our procedures are clear. Whenever we become aware of concerns about one of our employees which might negatively impact the safety and security of our students, we promptly investigate the concerns and take appropriate action,” Superintendent John Carmello said.

“The safety and security of our students is our top priority and we will continue to cooperate fully with Troy Police on this matter. We are committed to protecting our students and to fostering a safe and positive environment that is conducive to learning,” Carmello said in the statement.