Bus driver fired for slapping potty-mouthed child

Missoulian (Montana) ^ | 10/31/03 | AP

[BullDog108]

Bus driver fired for slapping potty-mouthed child

HELENA (AP) - The Helena School District has fired a school bus driver for slapping a middle-school student across the head when he wouldn't stop saying the word "penis" on the bus.

James Campbell, 62, also received a deferred sentence for assault in city court last week for slapping the 12-year-old boy on Oct. 7.

City Prosecutor Bob Wood said the dispute between Campbell and the student from C.R. Anderson began when Campbell objected to the boy loudly repeating the word "penis," despite Campbell's request to stop.

The boy's response to the bus driver's request was that "penis" isn't a derogatory word, but is in fact, a scientific term.

At that point, Wood said, Campbell slapped the boy. Wood said the altercation was captured on a video camera, which all school buses have.

School officials said their bus contractor, Treasure State Transit, fired the driver immediately upon learning of the incident.

The boy did not require medical attention, Wood said.

Superintendent Bruce Messinger said a district and police investigation led to the district's decision to take Campbell's bus route away.

Neither Campbell nor his attorney returned messages seeking comment from the Helena Independent Record Thursday.

[BullDog108]

It makes you wonder what they taught in school that day. There is no excuse for the bus driver, and I suspect he will be looking over his back from now on...

[Steve Eisenberg]

There is no excuse for the bus driver

I agree with firing him, but arrest and trial?

[AppyPappy]

Slapping the taste of the mouth of a middle schooler should be required.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

The driver should go after the parent or parents of this
creep.
Parents should be responsible for acts of children.

[Taxman]

Poppycock!

The man deserves a medal!

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Campbell objected to the boy loudly repeating the word "penis," despite Campbell's request to stop

And people laugh whenever the topic of Bill Clinton having had secret "love children" pops up... :)

[BullDog108]

I agree with firing him, but arrest and trial?

Well, it is assault. Since I am not a parent, I don't know how I would handle it. At least he didn't duct tape him!

[jos65]

I am reasonably sure the word was used in very quiet conversation and not in a derogatory manner.(sarcasm).

I would like to see/hear the full video/audio, before expressing any further opinion.

[Cultural Jihad]

The driver should go after the parent or parents of this creep.
Parents should be responsible for acts of children.

Oh, did the little 'creep' slap the adult driver? I must have misread the story.

[BullDog108]

I agree. Do all school districts have cameras on their buses now? No wonder property taxes are too high and the schools have no funds in their budgets...

[CWOJackson]

UNFORTUNATELY, slapping the child would be considered simple assault in most places (in many places even if you are the child's parent).

The parents should step forward and request that the driver not be prosecuted...and perhaps teach their child something at the same time.

[Cultural Jihad]

Apparently, the boy had "initiated force" by repeating a word, and the bus driver was well within his rights to lash out. There, it's easy to base a society upon the simple principle of "No-Force-No-Fraud." Now we can start dismantling our laws and institutions of civilization. < /sarc >

[Rebelbase]

"It makes you wonder what they taught in school that day"

My High School age son refers to grades 6-8 as "Penis Education".

[Jakarta ex-pat]

The man deserves a medal!

Agreed.

As long as he hit the head and not the cheeks.

[CWOJackson]

Now you've done it.

I figure the usual suspects will show up within minutes and make this a second ammendment issue.

[TheOtherOne]

The driver should go after the parent or parents of this creep.

Yeah, he should beat the crap out of them for letting their kid say penis.

[Cultural Jihad]

I would like to see/hear the full video/audio, before expressing any further opinion.

Well, unless it becomes used as evidence in a court of law, you won't have much of a call to ask to see any such tape.

[aruanan]

The boy's response to the bus driver's request was that "penis" isn't a derogatory word, but is in fact, a scientific term.

The boy wasn't a potty-mouth but a smart-ass.

[Cicero]

Stepping back from what the law and social custom may say about hitting kids, it seems to me that it's the job of a bus driver to keep order in his bus and to discipline those who step over the line. He has a duty to protect the other kids from bad behavior. He tried verbal persuasion, and that didn't work.

I don't know how hard he whacked him, but I tend to sympathize with the bus driver. I wouldn't hit somebody else's kid myself, but I can understand why he did. In the old days, nobody would have thought twice about his right to do so, as long as he did no real damage.

This kid will now proceed to grow up to be a self-centered jerk, and will probably suffer punishment from offended bosses and unhappy wives. That's what the saying means, "Spare the rod and spoil the child." Better a little discipline when growing up than to grow up into a condition of permanent moral stupidity like so many people you see these days.

[Catspaw]

The bus driver was prosecuted, but got a deferred sentence, along with being canned.