Substitute teacher accused of threatening student

NORMANDY, Mo. (AP) - A substitute teacher at a middle school in the St. Louis suburb of Normandy faces charges for allegedly threatening a middle school student with a knife.

Authorities say Stanley Covington, 64, placed a knife against the chest of a student in a math class and threatened to stab him on Wednesday. Covington is jailed on $10,000 bond on a charge of unlawful use of a weapon. He does not have a listed attorney.

Normandy Police Chief Frank Mininni said Covington told police that someone in the class threw a calculator that hit him in the head. Covington said he went to get a security guard and returned to find that a student had placed a knife on his desk to intimidate him.

Students and authorities gave a different account.

St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch told KTVI-TV that the student and teacher were arguing because the student was late for class. Other students told police that Covington then pulled a knife and threatened to cut the student. Authorities described the knife as large with a "brass knuckle" shaped handle.

The district released a statement saying no one was hurt and that the matter was turned over to authorities for investigation.

"Please be assured that protecting the welfare of all students and providing a safe and secure learning environment is our school district's first priority," the statement read.