Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

School Takes Away Blind Boy's Cane as Punishment for Acting Up
ABCNews ^ | December 18, 2014 | SYDNEY LUPKIN

Posted on 12/18/2014 8:26:01 PM PST by Steelfish

School Takes Away Blind Boy's Cane as Punishment for Acting Up Dec 18, 2014 By SYDNEY LUPKIN

PHOTO: 8-year-old Dakota Nafzinger, who was born without eyes, had his cane taken away and replaced with a pool noodle by the North Kansas City School District on Dec. 15, 2014.

A school took away an 8-year-old blind boy's cane as punishment for acting up and replaced it with a pool noodle, his father told ABC News today.

Dakota Nafzinger, who was born with no eyes, was listening to his music on the school bus when the driver took it away from him, his father, Donald Nafzinger said. Dakota often taps his cane to the music, but this time, his father said he threw it in the air. Nafzinger said school officials told him they thought Dakota was getting violent.

Then they gave Dakota a foam pool noodle in its place and sent him home with it, Nafzinger said.

"It is his eyes," Nafzinger, 35, told ABC News. "He said he was upset because he that's something he needs to get around with."

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Kansas
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041 next last
To: Steelfish

Wasn’t the kid hitting out with a cane that was provided by the school?


21 posted on 12/18/2014 9:04:18 PM PST by SkyDancer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SkyDancer

Yes he was.
I feel sorry for the little guy, he is frustrated, but he needs to learn to have empathy too.


22 posted on 12/18/2014 9:07:19 PM PST by mylife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish
Boy wasn't "acting up" he was merely being a normal 8 year old blind boy!

Fortunately, the National Association of the Blind stepped forward and gave the boy a can of his own, denying a bus driver the power of punishing him by giving him a bent foam noodle to "guide his steps."

That these schools "mainstream" handicapped children, then when they don't or can't "behave as expected," wind up getting punished far beyond what one would expect.

I'm no softie, went in for plenty of "tough love" on my own kids but this situation went too far, especially giving a boy a foam "noodle" that bent almost into a "C" shape and expect him to tap his way around to find the place to step is more than a little tough on a kid that's had to face a life without the use of his eyes.

Some adults are too just too stupid to be out on their own.

23 posted on 12/18/2014 9:10:28 PM PST by zerosix (Native Sunflower)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: zerosix

Maybe he’ll poke your kids eyes out on the bus with his cane.

Look *no pun* What are we to do about your misfortune?


24 posted on 12/18/2014 9:15:04 PM PST by mylife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: zerosix

Do you think you can find a hard object with a pool noodle?

I do.
Is it the best tool? Hell No! Hard to determine softness or solidness.

The kid is frustrated, why make everyone suffer?
School tried to be sensitive.


25 posted on 12/18/2014 9:19:03 PM PST by mylife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: mylife

Well the way the media was getting on about how he was being punished without mentioning how he was acting out. I feel for the kid but ......


26 posted on 12/18/2014 9:20:06 PM PST by SkyDancer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: SkyDancer

It’s the media, that is what they do.

Hell that is what the world does, they just react without thinking.


27 posted on 12/18/2014 9:21:50 PM PST by mylife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: mylife

And then they come back with “Oh, we’re so sorry we said that” crap ....


28 posted on 12/18/2014 9:23:34 PM PST by SkyDancer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: SkyDancer
Sigh.... I just get tired of the reactionary position of the majority of the world.


29 posted on 12/18/2014 9:26:09 PM PST by mylife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish

Then, to be fair, why not blind fold another kid who can see and let him roam.


30 posted on 12/18/2014 9:30:49 PM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Vendome

Who picks the guinea pig?


31 posted on 12/18/2014 9:34:12 PM PST by mylife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: mylife
This is a local school in KC, the parents, school officials have given numerous interviews and the situation that existed was blown way out of proportion to what happened.

?Of course I wouldn't want that kid or any kid to "poke my kid's eye out" but that could happen with a sighted kid and a pencil, so don't make this worse than it really was.

FYI, the school has already apologized for the situation getting put of control.

32 posted on 12/18/2014 9:38:01 PM PST by zerosix (Native Sunflower)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish

It sounds like that blind kid was asking for it.

I knew a kid in grade school, Victor, or ‘Vic’. Vic was born with no teeth.

His parents bought him a chewing-mouth dog. But Vic looked funny with no teeth so of course we teased him mercilessly, and you know how sensitive retards can be.

Vic bared his gums at us one recess, so we ran his dog off.


33 posted on 12/18/2014 9:38:34 PM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mylife
Actually, the noodle was longer than the kid is tall, so helping him get around was a joke. Not only that with the kid trying to hold it, it bent and curved so much so, I don't think a blind adult could direct his/her path with it..

Its a local school and we've seen plenty of first hand accounts from all concerned on local TV, so not knowing what you're seeing on national TV, especially on one of the MSM channels, it's probably off the mark a bit.

34 posted on 12/18/2014 9:44:05 PM PST by zerosix (Native Sunflower)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: zerosix

You get my drift.
This is a frustrated handicapped kid that lashed out.

The school tried to act with sensitivity.


35 posted on 12/18/2014 9:44:21 PM PST by mylife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish

Is anyone else curious as to why there was a foam pool noodle on the bus?


36 posted on 12/18/2014 10:44:37 PM PST by Organic Panic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Organic Panic; a fool in paradise; Darksheare

gangs of blind kids are running the ghetto’s across America! Real trouble makers!


37 posted on 12/18/2014 10:46:20 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish

Sending your child to abusive public schools, in this day and age, amounts to child abuse. There is no excuse to send your child off to the care of evil weevils and bullies.


38 posted on 12/18/2014 11:41:05 PM PST by SaraJohnson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gorush

Too bad this boy isn’t “of color” or a certain religious persuasion, there’d be millions on the line.


39 posted on 12/19/2014 3:44:42 AM PST by Artie (We are surrounded by MORONS)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: mylife

The boy and his mother were interviewed on “Fox and Friends” this morning.

The mom said her son’s welfare was the most important thing here. Well, no...not exactly. It’s also about the welfare of any kid he could potentially injure by hitting him or her with a hard cane.


40 posted on 12/19/2014 6:41:40 AM PST by CatherineofAragon ((Support Christian white males---the architects of the jewel known as Western Civilization.))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson