The last day of school at a Fishers campus ended not with water games and goodbyes but with criminal charges for a middle-school math teacher. Investigators say 39-year-old Nathan Sandlin grabbed and squeezed a 12-year-old student inside a classroom at Eman Schools on May 21, leaving the child with visible cuts in an encounter they say was caught on school surveillance video. Sandlin is now facing criminal counts tied to the alleged classroom confrontation.
What investigators say
According to WIBC 93.1 FM, staff contacted police on the last day of school to report a battery earlier in the day, and court papers charge Sandlin with strangulation and battery resulting in bodily injury to a child under 14. The station reports students had been taking part in water‑gun games when a 12-year-old told officers Sandlin demanded the toy, then grabbed the student’s wrists and wrapped him in a hold from behind. Investigators say school surveillance footage and witness accounts show the child struggling to breathe while being restrained, and WIBC reports the student was left with visible cuts consistent with fingernail marks.
School background and response
Eman Schools lists a Visionary Way campus serving grades 3 through 8 and identifies Nathan Sandlin on its staff roster as a middle-school math teacher. The school’s public pages also confirm the Visionary Way campus as the location where police were called, according to Eman Schools.
What the charges mean
Under Indiana law, strangulation is a criminal offense that can be filed as a felony, and battery that results in bodily injury to a child under 14 can carry enhanced penalties. The state’s criminal code defines strangulation and explains how battery charges may be elevated when the alleged victim is a child or another protected person. The statutory language is outlined in the Indiana Code (Justia).
Next steps in the case
WIBC 93.1 FM reports that officers later met with Sandlin at his home, where he told investigators he was trying to “de‑escalate an unruly student” and used a restraint technique he said he learned at a previous job. Prosecutors will review the investigation and decide whether to pursue any additional charges. Sandlin is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court. WIBC also noted that the school has launched an internal review and has said it remains committed to the safety of both students and staff.
