Teacher sued after arm wrestling match breaks students arm


Zach Larkin had just finished teaching a history class when he challenged Austin Lazarus to an arm-wrestling match.

With students urging him on, Lazarus accepted and the contest began.

Witnesses said Larkin had to use both hands and all his body weight to beat Lazarus. The force and torque broke the boy's arm.

The Orange County Register reports that Austin's mother, Kim Zippwald, called the decision to hold the contest "poor judgment" in the civil suit filed this week against Larkin.

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“He was screaming all the way to the specialist,” she claims in the suit.

“If he hadn’t escalated it and his arm had just broken in a normal arm wrestling competition, there’d be no lawsuit,” Lazarus’ attorney, Doug Vanderpool said.

The school won’t comment on the case, but Zippwald said her son still suffers from the injury.

“The arm has healed but is slightly crooked, she noted. “It’s still not perfect.”

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