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Utah man charged with child abuse for school ‘fight club’

A former employee of a Utah residential youth treatment facility was accused Friday of assaulting a 16-year-old boy as part of an unofficial “fight club” at the school.

The Utah County attorney’s office says 21-year-old Misifoa Tautofi Seui Matagi hit the teenager in December as part of a club in which students and staffers at Provo Canyon School would “body” each other by throwing punches at each other’s chests.

“The victim had at least two bruises from these assaults, which constitutes serious physical injury,” charging documents alleged.

In a brief phone interview, Matagi said several students were “going bodies” when one teenager started punching him.