MARSHALL, Ind. – Louis “Sweet Lou” Gudino is a tough guy gang-banger substitute teacher who wouldn’t think twice about snuffing out a student who misbehaves, according to some students.

Others who are supporting the 72-year-old substitute teacher think he’s a harmless jokester who enjoys playing up the persona to keep kids in line, the Tribune-Star reports.

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“I don’t know that he would hurt the kids, but the recklessness of his behavior could have resulted in injuries,” Rockville Police Chief Randal Kneeland told the news site.

Rockville police charged Gudino with six felony counts of battery on a person less than age 14, and misdemeanor intimidation charges for allegedly putting a stretchy cord around the neck of two different Rockville Elementary fourth-graders last week. He also allegedly pretended to choke another student with his bare hands.

According to the news site:

… (S)tudents stated that while Gudino was in the classroom on Thursday, he placed a stretchy cord around a student’s neck and threatened to stab the student in the eye with a pen. Gudino allegedly placed the stretchy cord around another student’s neck, as well, while making the student walk to the front of the class and kneel down. Gudino is alleged to have put his hands around the neck of a student and said he was going to choke him.

The report also states that Gudino told the students he was in a gang, showed them a picture of himself in high school wearing a jacket with a gang patch on it, and told them that he was the cousin of Mexican drug lord “El Chapo.” The students said that Gudino also told a student he was going to kill her and to “watch her back,” and he told the students to call him “Sweet Lou” or he would get violent.

“Just bizarre things to be telling a fourth grade student,” Kneeland told WTHI. “According to the kids, he told them that he was known for choking kids.”

Gudino has served as a substitute in several district schools for years. He’s also worked as a substitute and sports referee in other school districts for at least eight years, according to the news site.

Kneeland said Gudino admitted to putting his hands around the student’s neck Thursday, but denied telling students he would kill them. Kneeland alleges Gudino claims the comments were humor, and said he’s made similar comments in other classes, in part to keep kids in line.

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“He advised that he’s said those things to kids (in) other schools he’s worked at and he’s worked at South Vermillion schools, Southwest Park and North Central Parke,” Kneeland said.

South Vermillion School Corporation Superintendent David Chapman was surprised to hear that Gudino was arrested for allegedly threatening students.

“Lou has been a sub as long as I’ve been here, and that’s eight years,” he said. “And he’s also an athletic official.”

“Judge Sam Swaim set Gudino’s bail at $10,000 with $1,000 cash allowed, but ordered him to live in Indianapolis with his adult daughter so that Gudino would be close to the Veterans Administration hospital, where he has medical appointments,” The Tribune-Star reports. “Swaim also ordered Gudino not to substitute teach, and not to enter school property owned by North Central Parke or Southwest Parke school districts, where he had previously filled classroom slots as a substitute teacher.”

The news site reports many students have come to the substitute’s defense both online and at school, with some going as far as creating custom shirts to support Sweet Lou.