Posted on 01/31/2007 9:20:17 PM PST by SmithL
RICHMOND -- A Richmond elementary-school teacher who had just been placed on leave was arrested on felony charges Wednesday after she refused to leave campus and instead rallied her students against the principal, kept her class in the library and used a girl as a shield as police arrived, authorities said.
The Sheldon Elementary School teacher, Jennie Mo, 57, of El Cerrito grabbed one of her girl students and managed to get another student to help her as she was confronted by a police officer in the school library, police said. She ended up being handcuffed in front of her students and led away, authorities said.
"She began to get the children involved in the dispute, turning them against school officials and the principal," said Richmond police Lt. Mark Gagan. "It was completely inappropriate physical touching of a student in the presence of an officer and is illegal. That crossed the line."
Mo was arrested on 18 counts of false imprisonment -- one count per student -- for not allowing them to leave the library, battery on the child she allegedly used as a shield and trespassing.
...Mo's students were told to move from their classroom to the library so as to avoid an "awkward interaction" when she retrieved her personal belongings from the classroom, Gagan said.
But instead of leaving campus, Mo sought her class out in the library and told them not to leave, police said. She began rallying her students to support her and not the principal and asked them to "vote on who they liked better, her or the principal,"
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Ha... And people wonder why I'm such an advocate for home schooling.
* Shaking Head *
I had forgotten about Richmond, California. I was wondering how the heck a city in Virginia got named El Cerrito.
Then I saw this was in the SF Gate, and that pretty much cleared everything up. ;)
Very strange story. Would love to see how it develops. Sure would be interested in the whole story.
I hope she wasn't originally put on leave due to her having some legitimate concern about school safety. If that's the case, I think her point will be lost.
_________________________________________________________ From original article: At about 11 a.m. Wednesday, Mo was told that she was being placed on paid administrative leave "based on several incidents of erratic behavior that she exhibited in the past few weeks," said Gagan, who declined to elaborate.
I bet it's the "several incidents of erratic behavior" that started all this. Sounds like Mo started to unravel...
Yes. It sounds her thinking was "I'M NOT GOING CRAZY! AND I'LL TAKE A ROOM FULL OF INNOCENT CHILDREN AS HOSTAGES IF NEED BE TO MAKE YOU BELIEVE ME!"
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