CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- A former Chesterfield County teacher faces a misdemeanor assault charge after police said he cut several inches of hair off of a woman at a middle school.
On Sunday police arrested 61-year-old Melvin D. Hunt. Chesterfield Police said they responded to Elizabeth Davis Middle school around 3:30 p.m. Friday, for a reported assault that happened in the parking lot.
The female victim said she met Hunt in the school parking lot and got into his car. He told her that she did not need to travel with him on a trip they had planned for awhile.
After that decision was made, he asked the woman for a hug. As she leaned in, he allegedly grasped her firmly and then cut-off her hair.
Hunt then took off in his vehicle.
He is listed as the Physical Education Coordinator at Riverside School in North Chesterfield. Prior to that, Hunt was listed as a PE teacher at Manchester Middle school.
Hunt also won the Virginia Middle school PE teacher of the year in 2007.
His current school employer said he reported to work Monday morning, and has since been placed on administrative leave:
"The school has been made aware of the pending charges and Mr. Hunt has been placed on administrative leave. We have no additional comments at this time," the school wrote in a statement.
An emergency protective order was issued after the incident.
Hunt's neighbors knew something was wrong Sunday when police lined the streets of his North Chesterfield home.
"I saw two cops pull up and one went on one side of the house, the another on the other side of the house they were looking all in the shed and all in the guys van," said neighbor Browning Hyde. "I thought he was a nice guy everytime I talked to him, my Dad was totally shocked about the whole situation because he was such a nice guy we had no idea."
