Jury finds Ruby Gunner not guilty of injury to a child

After an innocent verdict was announced Wednesday, Ruby Gunner said the jury's decision was correct and saw through inconsistencies. Several of Gunner's supporters attended the session cheering and hugging the teacher afterwards. Photo taken Thursday, March 12, 2014 Guiseppe Barranco/@spotnewsshooter less After an innocent verdict was announced Wednesday, Ruby Gunner said the jury's decision was correct and saw through inconsistencies. Several of Gunner's supporters attended the session cheering and hugging the ... more Photo: Guiseppe Barranco, Photo Editor Photo: Guiseppe Barranco, Photo Editor Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close Jury finds Ruby Gunner not guilty of injury to a child 1 / 14 Back to Gallery

Update: Ruby Gunner was found not guilty by a jury around 2 p.m. Wednesday.

The Port Arthur school district issued this statement after the jury returned its verdict:

"The district is aware of the Jefferson County jury verdict of not guilty concerning Ms. Ruby Gunner. At this time the district intends to proceed with its proposed termination of Ms. Gunner's teaching contract. The district will continue to ensure the safety of all students in its care through adherence of district policies by employees."

Previous reporting: An altercation at Robert E. Lee Elementary between an 11-year-old student and veteran Port Arthur teacher Ruby Gunner sent "desks flying" and left the student with scratches across his left cheek and neck, according to testimony in the injury to a child trial that began Tuesday.

The trial will resume this morning at 10 in Judge John Stevens' court.

The student - now in fifth grade at William B. Travis Elementary - testified Tuesday morning that Gunner blocked him from leaving her classroom April 5.

When he tried to shove past her, he said Gunner put her hand out to stop him.

He tried to get past her twice more, and on the third try Gunner pushed him back with both her hands. The student said Gunner then hit him on his face, and he kicked her back.

At that point, the fourth-grader ran out of Gunner's class to go to the counselor's office.

According to the teacher in the next classroom, Trudy Goza, that was what the student was supposed to do when he became upset.

"He had accommodations," said Rizvan Quadri, former principal of Lee Elementary.

Goza testified that the student struggled in school and that his grades seemed to deteriorate as the year progressed. Last year was his second one in fourth grade.

About an hour after the first incident, Gunner and the student had another altercation, according to prosecutors.

The student testified that he went from the counselor's office to Goza's classroom for science, his next class in rotation.

The counselor called Goza to let her know the student had been to the counseling office for not doing his work, Goza said.

Then Gunner walked into Goza's classroom and confronted the student at his desk, she said.

"It just happened all of a sudden," Goza said, her voice breaking slightly as she testified. "They started wrestling, and desks started flying."

Read more in Wednesday's Beaumont Enterprise.