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KINGMAN — A Kingman High School math teacher, injured while breaking up a student fight, says he is being pressured into resigning because it is unknown when he may be able to return to work.

Steve Norton went to pick up his check recently at the Kingman Unified School District office. There was a mix-up on the pickup location and Norton met briefly with Roger Jacks, assistant superintendent for personnel.

“I was told to put the matter behind me by Christmas or I would be allowed to resign in good standing,” Norton said.

Although Norton wants to continue teaching, he said the subject of his resignation had come up before. He requested a resignation form from Jacks.

But before he could give serious consideration to submitting the form, Norton said he would have to contact an attorney to find out if it would mean losing his worker’s compensation benefits.

Worker’s compensation pays just one-third of his normal teaching income, he said. Jacks’ version of the conversation is quite different.

“We’d love to have him continue with us,” Jacks said. “He said he was thinking of resigning and wanted to know how to go about it. We hope to have him back after winter break. He’s on sick leave now.”

Jacks acknowledged having a copy of a care certificate from Norton stating he is under medical care by North Country Community Health Center through January. A form signed by a physician states, “Please allow for this and save his employment position.”

Norton joined a security guard at the school in stopping a fight involving one female and two male students before the start of classes Oct. 29.

During the melee, Norton said he was kicked once in the stomach and once in the right side, had hot chocolate thrown on him, was spit on and punched in the head.

He was admitted to Kingman Regional Medical Center and later transferred to Flagstaff Medical Center. A CT scan and additional tests were done in Flagstaff, copies of which went to a surgeon Norton is seeing in San Diego.

Norton is an organ donor and that surgeon previously put a screen inside his body cavity, where a hernia developed.

“The surgeon said my colon is swollen and there’s edema elsewhere, and he doesn’t know if it’s blood or water,” Norton said.

“He doesn’t want to do a surgery now and have to do another one later, so he said, ’let’s see where we are in six weeks.”’

Norton said he remains plagued by headaches and vomiting episodes.

School district employees have donated enough sick days to enable Norton to be paid until Christmas.

Betsy Parker, assistant superintendent, said Norton can request more sick days and it is not necessary to do so through the Kingman Unified School District Governing Board. “Nobody has pressured (Norton),” Parker said. “He’s in no danger of being dismissed. There’s no grounds for it.”

Norton said he has notes from his students who want him back in the classroom, saying they’re not learning with a substitute.

He is to see a counselor Dec. 3 to address post-traumatic stress stemming from the incident. “I was not driving drunk on Andy Devine Avenue,” Norton said. “I stepped in to help a younger boy being choked, and in one minute my whole life has changed while doing my job.

“What kind of teacher would I be if a had walked away? It was my hope (personnel) would say, ’here’s your pay until June. Go to San Diego and get healthy. A job is waiting for you.”’

Principal Pat Mickelson said she saw Norton briefly when he came in to get his check. She asked if he had any idea when he would be able to return to work because his students miss him and Norton reportedly said he did not know.

“This situation puts us in a tough spot,” Mickelson said. “You can’t replace somebody that isn’t gone, but we count on students having good instruction. I think the district has the right to get information as to a possible date he could return.”

She said she has not pressured Norton.

The faculty was shy one math teacher at the start of the school year, so classes are slightly larger than desired now, Mickelson said. Norton teaches trigonometry.

“We don’t have any subs capable of teaching trigonometry,” she said. “It’s not the easiest of content areas.”

Several parents have told her they hope a more capable replacement can be found to substitute until Norton can return, Mickelson said.