A 20-year-old man is facing an assault charge after allegedly accusing his English literature teacher of being a witch and then pouring liquid on her. The man also threatened the teacher with a cigarette lighter and cigarette.

Darin Najor of Ferndale is charged with assault and battery, a 93-day misdemeanor in the Sept. 11 incident at Taft Educational Center where he attends adult education classes, Ferndale Police Lt. William Wilson said today. The students had been reading Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" regarding the Salem witch trials.

"This apparently occurred after a class discussion on witchcraft, and what people used to do with witches," said Wilson. "After one class, he asked his teacher if she believed in witchcraft and what was done, and she said no. The next thing she knew, he came up behind her and poured some liquid on her out of a bottle and ignited a cigarette lighter, as if he was going to light her on fire."

The liquid later proved to be a nonflammable substance, Wilson said, and the teacher was not injured in the incident.

The 36-year-old teacher, not knowing that and fearing for her safety, fled the classroom and notified school security officers who found Najor in the parking lot, smoking a cigarette.

"He approached her again with the cigarette -- as if he was going to burn her," said Wilson.

Najor was committed to a hospital for 72-hour observation and later released from the hospital. He appeared Tuesday for arraignment on the assault charge, complained of not feeling well and was placed back in an area hospital for observation, police said.

Najor has been expelled from the school, Detective Ken Denmark said.