A 7-second clip posted on Twitter shows a teacher dressed in sunglasses; a puffy, red, polka dot hat; and black shirt, growling and throwing a student to the ground while he's still seated in his desk. The teacher appears to be grabbing for the student's cellphone.
David Garcia, 15, was the student in the video. The 11th-grader told The Sacramento Bee in an interview that Fritz entered the English class singing and dancing, but then began cursing and yelling. Garcia said the teacher approached him for no known reason and pulled him from his desk.
Garcia said he laughed initially, then told Fritz to stop. Garcia said Fritz began teaching with no explanation of the behavior.
Fritz is a 20-year employee at McClatchy High School, according to the district. A man answering the phone at Fritz's house Monday hung up when reached by a reporter.