Centennial, COLORADO

Nov 20, 2006 - Todd Bennethum, 45, a Thunder Ridge High School science teacher, is scheduled for a pre-trial conference in connection with child abuse causing bodily injury for hitting a child with a yardstick. No other details available.

Bennethum was convicted of assault 4 years ago after pleading guilty of hitting a softball player after a game. He later reversed his plea and was given a deferred 12-month sentence of unsupervised probation.

A Douglas County Schools spokesman said officials didn't think that conviction warranted firing at the time.

Nov 21 - Bennethum resigned.