School Machinist Kern Levigion broke his foot on Tuesday, October 13 as a passing student stepped on it while entering the two-to-four escalator.

According to Levigion, the student who stepped on his foot was running to his next class. “He was running, kicked me and kept on going up the escalators. I only saw the back of his head and I called him twice but he kept on running,” Levigion said. “I know it wasn’t done out of mischief.”

Levigion is wearing a cast on his broken foot until it recovers. The identity of the student remains unknown.

In addition, physics teacher Dr. Honorio Esper was also injured, fracturing his arm in the beginning of the school year while falling down the Hudson staircase.

Dr. Esper is taking a leave of absence until his arm recovers. He should be returning to school by the end of October or the beginning of November, according to Assistant Principal Chemistry and Physics Scott Thomas.

Dr. Esper’s Physics Honors class is being covered by physics teacher John Avallone and his Physics C class is being covered by biology teacher Anne Manwell and physics teacher Dr. Jamal Ali until Dr. Esper returns.

“[The substitutes] are going to be reimbursed for the extra work,” Thomas said. However, he does not yet know how they will be compensated.

Dr. Esper’s students were sympathetic to his injuries. “I’m worried about him because I think he might be seriously injured,” junior Sam Szuflita said. “I hope he has a swift return [...] Mr. Esper has a great sense of humor. He makes physics fun.”

Students in his Regents physics class were not worried about falling behind due to Dr. Esper’s absence. “Although I did miss Esper at first, I think it is easier to learn at the pace Mr. Avallone goes at,” junior Della Chu said.

Students in Dr. Esper’s Physics C class, however, were not as pleased with the replacement teachers.

“Dr. Ali and Ms. Manwell have not done a great job of teaching the class. The class feels like it’s going too slowly, as we’ve been doing stuff that’s actually behind Regents physics. Being in a class of AP Physics C, you would expect a lot more,” senior Ruozhou Ye said.  “A lot of the class hopes that Dr. Esper will come back soon.”