Kansas Rep. Mark Samsel Charged for Kneeing Student in Groin Gets Back to Work

By Mary Webber First Posted: May 04, 2021 05:28 AM EDT

Kansas state lawmaker Mark Samsel was arrested and charged after he allegedly kneed a student in the groin while substitute teaching last Wednesday.

Mark Samsel was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery, but he was later released after posting a $1,000 bond. He was earlier booked into the Franklin County Adult Detention Center.

Students caught the action on video in a classroom at Wellsville's high school, People reported. Mark Samsel maintained that there was no altercation and that he had planned the whole thing.

Wellsville School District Superintendent Ryan Bradbury said the lawmaker would not be allowed to work for the district anymore.

While teaching, the fragmentary footage does show the 36-year-old Kansas lawmaker talking about a wide range of topics such as the devil, homosexuality, masturbating, suicide, and rough-housing with one of the students.

Samsel was also heard asking students if they like making babies and if it "feels good." One of the students captioned one of the videos published by The Kansas City Star, saying that the Kansas lawmaker was "so gross."

The Kansas Lawmaker and The Incident

One video showed Mark Samsel telling students about one sophomore student who tried killing himself three times. Samsel went on and said that it was because he has two parents, and they are both females, Kansas City Star reported.

"He's a foster kid. His alternatives in life were having no parents or foster care parents who are gay," Samsel told the students.

Mark Samsel allegedly focused most of his attention on one male student. He was shown to be following the student around and at one point put his arms around the student and said that he was being hard on him.

In one video, he told students that they have permission to kick the male student on his private parts. Parents said that Samsel then put his hands on the student and allegedly kneed him in the crotch.

The videos angered several parents, feeling that their children were put in danger. One father, Joshua Zeck, said he is concerned and does not want this swept under the rug.

Zeck noted that Samsel is around children all the time, adding that he is a state representative with power. He said that he felt Mark Samsel was bullying the student.

Bradbury said that the case is being investigated, and the students' safety will always be their priority. He added that they are prevented from commenting further on the incident, citing privacy laws.

House Republican leadership also released a statement, saying that they are not yet aware of the details, but they are in the process of gathering more information, KSNT reported.

Samsel also released a statement, saying that he was sorry and deeply regretted his actions that "may have caused confusion or sadness among a handful of some young folks."

"But I only had one rule. They know what is was, and it was simple. If they broke the rule, I told them the truth," the Kansas lawmaker noted.

Mark Samsel represents Kansas House District 5, which covers Wellsville and other surrounding areas. He reportedly showed up at the Kansas State Capitol on Monday for a series of high-stakes veto override votes, Kansas City Star reported.

WATCH: Kansas Lawmaker Says High School Battery Incident Was Staged - From KSNT News