NEW YORK – A New York teacher known for defying police, mishandling students, showing up late, and a slew of Occupy Wall Street protest arrests was cleared to return to the classroom, and issued $260,000 in back pay.

The New York City Department of Education fired David Suker, 47, in 2012, about a year after he was removed from a Bronx high school classroom for numerous infractions, including excessive absences, mishandling students, and failing to promptly report one of his five arrests during the Occupy Wall Street protests, the New York Post reports.

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In one incident, the U.S. Army veteran “was charged with riling up students during an NYPD presentation at a school town-hall meeting by complaining he had been roughed up by cops, showing a scar on his head, and exchanging high-fives and fist bumps with teens,” according to the news site.

Suker – pictured in the Post with clenched fist at an Occupy protest, and in another image sporting a Che Guerra t-shirt – remained on the city’s payroll for two years before he was cut off, said his attorney, Maria Chickedantz.

Suker appealed his termination as the city also leveled charges that the divorced dad falsified school records to enroll his daughter in specific schools. Manhattan Supreme Court judge Alice Schlesinger eventually dismissed the falsification charge, and ruled Suker was a good teacher who shouldn’t have been fired.

The ruling means Suker must pay $7,000 in fines previously imposed by an arbitrator, but can return to work and collect the equivalent of three years’ worth of back pay, NY 1 reports.

“I’m no angel, but I’m also a great teacher and a loving father who believes in the founding ideals of this country,” Suker told the Post. I’ve served in the military and I’ve served in public schools for these beliefs. I deserve justice, and I feel now I’ve been vindicated.”

Suker’s attorney estimates the city spent about $1 million on the case, mostly on back pay, substitutes and legal expenses.

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“The time and resources that the DOE wasted to get a $7,000 fine is completely absurd and outrageous,” Chickedantz said.

City officials refused to discuss the ruling with the Post, but said Suker “remains reassigned.”

Suker’s return, of course, generated a lot of comments online.

“Talks about being a vet and believing in the founding principles of this nation,” David Arguelles noted on Facebook, “proudly wears a Che shirt like all the other idiots that have no clue what Che really was.”

“Gee, another commie in the educational system,” Andy Drebych posted.

“Glad I no longer have children in the school system,” Mary Stallings wrote. “His lawyers will use this money to send their kids to private schools.”

“Why is it so hard to fire NYC teachers?” Dawn Dorino questioned. “We are paying teachers charged with child molesting, hitting students, not teaching, to sit in rubber rooms. You can get impeached quicker than lose your job as a teacher in NYC. It’s the only job I know you can screw up and still get paid. I personally am sick of it. Teachers need to be held accountable.”