High School Coach Caught on Video Punching Student

A California football coach is under fire after punching a student on camera.

Beaumont High School coach Will Martin has been put on leave and is being investigated by police after the above video was leaked to NBC.

The clip shows Martin in front of a student who has his arms raised above his head. After prepping him for the hit, Martin punches the student in the gut.

The student and several others watching the activity are heard laughing at the display, which was allegedly a disciplinary measure.

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The school district, located in Beaumont, California, began their investigation after the video went public and reassured parents they're taking action.

"We want to reassure parents that our No. 1 priority is the safety and well-being of our students, and that the Beaumont Unified School District takes reports of teacher misconduct very seriously," district spokeswoman Francinni Zabata said in a release.

While the parent who leaked the video disapproves of the action, many others in the community think the punch was clearly the coach goofing around and horseplaying with students.

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"If it's so bad, why are the kids laughing? Why are the kids thinking it's funny?" parent Jessica Taylor said. "I don't see a problem with it. My son says there are drills where you get hit like that, and my son says, 'Mom, it's football.'"

Parent Mando Cuellar told CBS, "I've seen the video and you can totally see him smiling there. The kids are there, my son's there, they all laughed afterwards, it's something they obviously do."

As of Monday, Martin is still listen on the school's faculty list in the physical education department