As a general rule, teachers in the Rowan-Salisbury School System are adults, at least by virtue of their age.

As an adult, teachers are expected to react appropriately to any actions a student may take. Examples of appropriate actions include verbally telling a student his or her actions were wrong, sending a student to the principal’s office or calling the school’s resource officer. If the student plays sports, perhaps it’s appropriate to let a coach reprimand the student in some way — picking up equipment after practice for example.

Any sort of punishment for a student’s actions should not include holding a student against a wall or cabinet before thrusting the child or teenager onto the floor.

Teachers are adults. As such, they should be expected to abide by a higher standard, or at least the standards outlined in a contract. Students have codes of conduct. Last time I checked, the school system doesn’t allow teachers to toss students like a sack of potatoes onto a classroom floor.

The conduct of a teacher at West Rowan High School was recently called into question when a video surfaced that appeared to show Brian Linville pushing a 15-year-old student into a metal cabinet and throwing the student onto the classroom floor. The same video appears to show a second student pulling Linville away.

Linville was served with a criminal summons for simple assault Friday following the incident. The student was given a juvenile referral for disorderly conduct. When members of the West Rowan community found out about the incident, many took to social media to point out the 15-year-old took a school-issued laptop from Linville’s desk and tried to leave the classroom. A news release from the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said the student pushed Linville. The cell phone video begins immediately after.

Let’s be clear, Linville’s alleged actions, whether criminal charges stand or not, are not equivalent to corporal punishment.

In Alabama, where I went to high school, it was commonplace for athletes to be paddled for certain actions. Some parents weren’t happy when their child was paddled by a coach. The practice of paddling students as a form of punishment is antiquated and not accepted in many states. However, students — athletes mostly — knew it was a potential punishment.

What are the chances the 15-year-old student knew Linville’s alleged actions were coming?

Sure, the student started the incident. Perhaps Linville is an upstanding resident of his community. Do either of those facts allow Linville to physically punish a student as if he was the child’s parent? No.

As in any profession, it’s important to remain cool and level-headed in tense situations. Speaking to a child calmly may not result in any tangible change, but it wasn’t Linville’s job to react physically.

Linville’s alleged actions resulted in a suspension without pay from his job.

As the school system considers how to react in the wake of the incident, it’s important to consider how its decision might affect future actions by school system employees, specifically ones who regularly interact with students.

A physical reaction to a student’s behavior may have been acceptable previously, but in the 21st century attitudes have changed. Physical discipline is a parent’s decision and shouldn’t be an option for public school employees.

Josh Bergeron is a reporter for the Salisbury Post.