The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office dropped a charge against a teacher who punched a student after the boy used a racial slur against him.

Officials announced their decision to dismiss a charge against former music teacher Marston Riley on Tuesday, according to KTLA. Riley, 65, was charged with one misdemeanor count of corporal injury to a child after he punched a 14-year-old boy in November 2018.

As Blavity previously reported, the incident occurred after an argument between Riley and the unidentified boy. Other students who witnessed the conflict said their Maywood Academy classmate became upset after Riley ordered him to leave the classroom because he wasn’t wearing a proper uniform. The boy was seen cursing and threw a basketball at the teacher.

Seriously, this child is speaking out of his ass. We get it the teacher through the first punch but the student deserves consequences too! @ABC7
#JusticeforRiley support and understand the teacher!! He was also jumped about two years ago by 3 students pic.twitter.com/JfNp9X0O6g

— jen (@LaFlackitaaa) November 3, 2018

After the student used n***a several times during the altercation, Riley punched him in the face.

A brawl ensued and continued until another teacher broke them up. NBC reports the student was hospitalized for “moderate injuries” and released.

Riley was eventually forced into early retirement following the fight. He received an outpouring of support from his community and other sympathizers. A GoFundMe campaign created in his honor received almost $200K in donations, three times its original goal.

The DA cited Riley’s age, lack of criminal record, the circumstances surrounding the fight and his ability to stay out of trouble since the incident to justify dismissing the charges. He also completed 10 weeks of anger management courses.

William S. Pittman, Riley’s attorney, told MyNewsLA his client’s former students and colleagues spoke “glowingly” of Riley and he’s satisfied with the outcome.

“This is a case that should not have been filed, in my opinion,” Pittman said. “We believe that he was completely innocent and there was extraordinary provocation on the part of the student. But we are grateful that the district attorney took another look at this case prior to trial and we believe that the decision to dismiss, without question, was the proper decision.”

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