Palatka teacher, aide accused of allowing student melee [yet, teacher risks punishment either way]

AP, via Naples Daily News ^ | Feb. 16, 2002 | AP

[summer]

Palatka teacher, aide accused of allowing student melee

Saturday, February 16, 2002

Associated Press

PALATKA — A teacher and her aide were charged with felony child neglect Thursday for allegedly standing by while a group of students pounced another classmate, authorities said.

Teacher Rochelle Singleton, 40, and aide Sonya Lynette Moody, 42, have also been suspended with pay from their posts at Gateway School, said Superintendent David Buckles.

The incident at the school, an alternative institution for students with a history of disciplinary violations at other schools, occurred Monday.

A 15-year-old student told Putnam County Sheriff's Office investigators that he received threats from some classmates and reported them to Singleton, but she did nothing.

The teen then locked himself in a restroom adjacent to Singleton's classroom, according to a sheriff's office report.

But after a few minutes, the teacher unlocked the door and ran behind her desk, allowing eight other students to enter, the report said.

The teen told investigators that at least three of the 10 students in the classroom repeatedly hit and kicked him before he managed to escape and call for help.

Investigators found the teen bleeding from the nose and mouth.

Buckles said several students have been recommended for expulsion. Those who took part in beating the teen could face misdemeanor battery charges, The Palatka Daily News reported Thursday.

"We don't tolerate this type of behavior from our students and we're certainly not going to tolerate this type of behavior from our employees," Buckles said.

[summer]

A teacher and her aide were charged with felony child neglect Thursday for allegedly standing by while a group of students pounced another classmate, authorities said.

..."We don't tolerate this type of behavior from our students and we're certainly not going to tolerate this type of behavior from our employees," Buckles said.

--------------------

This is one of those situations when it is really very difficult to be a teacher in today's world.

The superintendent, Buckles, is claiming the teacher and teacher's aide were wrong to stand by and do nothing during a melee. Consequently, these two employees are now being charged with "felony child neglect."

But -- I can tell you for a FACT that if this teacher and aide had placed their hands on the shoulder of a student and pulled a student off another student to break up a fight, the teacher and aide would have been threatened with a lawsuit by the students' parents for battery because:

School district policies state teachers should never TOUCH a student in the midst of a fight with another student. Teachers are actually INVESTIGATED and WRITTEN UP for doing that.

However, if a teacher does NOT attempt to break up the fight, the teacher can be charged with "felony child neglect."

So - which is it? School districts have to decide on ONE policy for teachers: Teachers should do nothing to stop a student fight, or, teachers have an obligation to stop a student fight.

Because right now, a teacher gets punished for taking action -- and also gets punished for taking NO action. It's very unfair to teachers.

[summer]

FYI.

[Rustynailww]

"the teacher unlocked the door and ran behind her desk,".........looks like she aided the beating.

[summer]

Sounds to me like she was trying to avoid getting beat up by these students. (self-defense)

[summer]

BTW, after I made the mistake of breaking of a fight between two male students, here is what that school district told me is their policy for teachers: Call the office to get an administrator whenever students are fighting.

Unfortunately, the school did not bother to install phones in the classrooms, and often no one answers the office buzzer system. So, as a teacher you either (a) call on the buzzer system and get no response, (b) break up the fight and get in trouble by the school district, or (c) ignore the fight and get arrested for a felony. A tough choice of options, IMO. Maybe that's why other teachers at the school later told me: if you see a fight, pretend you didn't and leave the scene.

[summer]

breaking of = breaking up

[widowithfoursons]

Could we please have vouchers now? Can we leave? Please???

[summer]

I wish I could tell you that "vouchers" will stop kids from fighting. Unfortunately they won't. Believe it or not, some kids fight at private schools too. In fact, they are AT the private school because they have ALREADY been expelled from a public school. And, they are again immediately expelled at the private school. But, I wish there was a magic wand you could wave to solve all these problems. However, there is not.

[summer]

Re your post #9 - The teacher unlocked the door!

The way I read this, the teacher unlocked the door to a restroom, and restrooms are required to be OPEN. I once heard of a situation where a student locked himself in a school restroom and committed suicide. That's why school restrooms have to be OPEN. I did not read the teacher's actions as "offering up" the student as you did.

[summer]

Re your post #10 - I don't know the race involved, but I know from my own experince that you are correct -- race is often a factor in how the teacher is treated. Especially if the union rep is black, and the student "victim" -- who was actually beating the crap out of another student -- is also black, while the teacher is white. Such a teacher can expect ZERO help from teacher's union.

[summer]

from teacher's union. = from the teacher's union.

[summer]

And, I realize people may think I sound racist to say that, but I am speaking from my own experience here. Yes, I was shocked too that race plays a part, but the fact is that it does. I did not know it then, but I sure know it now.

[Amelia]

The teacher unlocked the door! This is not a case of a fight breaking out and a teacher caught on the horns of a dilemma. This is a case of the teacher aiding and abetting the perps by offering up the student to his classmates.

It's not especially clear, but that's the way I interpreted the story as well.

[Balding_Eagle]

Re: your replies #6, #10, and the thousands of other such replies you post.

Ever heard of "Preview"?

It is at the lower left of the posting box. After you click on it, READ what you typed, CORRECT any mistakes, THEN click on "Post Reply".

I feel sorry for your students.

[summer]

Sometimes, when I am thinking about something that I find upsetting, I make mistakes when I type. Thank you for understanding that.

[summer]

and the thousands of other such replies you post.

And, thank you for taking the time to read all my posts. I had no idea you were such a fan of mine, as I do not recall reading anything you've ever contributed anywhere (except for this current post from you, which, IMO, failed to contribute to the topic at hand).

[summer]

Now, Amelia, why would you think the teacher should NOT unlock the door? Maybe the students who attacked were nowhere on the scene at the time she unlocked the door, and they arrived moments later. That is what I thought happened. I realize I could be wrong, but that's the way it seemed to me.

[summer]

And, odd that you would have read all my posts, since you just registered on FreeRepublic today, according to your public profile. What a nice, polite first post from you!