Posted on 10/13/2023 8:43:14 PM PDT by Morgana
A Florida teacher who was beaten senseless by a 270 pound student has refused to support a lighter sentence for the teen.
High school teacher Joan Naydich was violently attacked by Brendan Depa, then 17, in February after she told him to stop playing on his Nintendo Switch.
The autistic teen was seen on video punching and kicking the educator in the back and head until she lay on the ground unconscious.
Eventually the 6-foot-6 teen, now 18, was pulled away and restrained by other staff.
Naydich, was taken to a local hospital and treated after the assault.
Depa, reportedly threatened to kill Naydich during his arrest.
Depa, was charged as an adult and faces up to 30 years in prison for the first-degree felony charge of aggravated battery.
The teen, who was initially charged as a juvenile before being upgraded to an adult, is set to plead guilty in an attempt to avoid jail time, the New York Post reported.
Naydich has 'shown no interest in mitigating what penalties Depa might face', according to news site Flagler Live.
Depa had three prior battery arrests before the February attack and has been in a prison fight just last month, the Post reported.
'I'm hopeful that the awareness of this incident being spread far and wide will prevent anyone else from ever dealing with the trauma, physical healing and disruption of everyday life this has caused,' she said on a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $100,000.
Depa is slated to issue his plea later month and will be sentenced after that in a separate proceeding.
Matanzas High School where the assault occurred has been beset with violence in recent years, the Post reported.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
This woman took a job as a paraprofessional. That means she agreed to work with the special ed students who have intellectual disabilities (we used to use the word “retarded”).
Sometimes these “retarded” students hurt the paraprofessionals.
Other intellectually disabled students in this same school system have hurt paraprofessionals, and they were not sentenced to prison.
Here’s an article about two of those students. Note that both students are white:
https://flaglerlive.com/depa-disparities/#gsc.tab=0
One got 18 months on probation. The other was released.
But, Depa is facing 30 years. Because his attack was caught on a video that went viral.
I looked up the article written by Brendan Depa’s adoptive mother:
https://flaglerlive.com/brendan-depa-my-son-story/#gsc.tab=0
And now, I’m even more certain he shouldn’t be sentenced to prison.
He is intellectually disabled. He should be living in an institution - not in prison.
A_perfect_lady: How would you suggest someone control a kid this size with no impulse control? Do our teachers all have to be Roadhouse bouncers, in addition to being able to teach Calculus or AP Lit? Do you know a lot of people who fit this description? Academic skills, young and fit, Delta Force training, patience of Job...?
To be fair, I highly doubt that these kids are being taught "Calculus or AP Lit."
dadfly seems to be all about blaming the victim.
The teacher - no matter how frail - deserves to be able to teach (incl. asserting authority) without being violently attacked and severely injured.
dadfly, in contrast, believes that she doesn't deserve to teach unless she has ninja powers and "Spidey senses."
Regards,
Poor woman is probably still traumatized - and the conditions at the school have probably not yet been corrected. So they are, in effect, demanding that she "go over the wire" AGAIN!
Well, I suppose that there are lots of other emotionally disturbed behemoths there, eager to welcome "their favorite teacher" back!
They're sure to knock some sense into her!
Regards,
Cut them some slack!
Until you have become personally acquainted with the given youngster, and had an opportunity to evaluate his mental and emotional development, AND HAVE SOME EXPERTISE IN THIS FIELD, you are not really qualified to dismiss their characterization of their child as "on the spectrum."
Many parents use this expression because, if they say "autistic," the listeners might automatically assume that the given child is on the "Rainman" level - or worse.
There are, indeed, children who display only mild symptoms of autism / Asperger's (and yes: I know that there's a difference).
Saying "on the spectrum" is a perfectly acceptable method of briefly describing the condition to other laymen in a casual social setting - say, when bumping into a neighbor at a bbq.
Of course, two clinicians discussing the matter in a clinical setting would be expected to express themselves differently.
Regards,
You are still supporting a double standard here. You have repeatedly referred to your massive physical stature (combat training?) that gave you a decided "edge" in dealing with these mooks, implying that
1) a teacher without these advantages is somehow "deficient" and/or bears at least some of the blame (e.g., for not being more "situationally aware");
2) male colleagues should be expected to intercede.
In your last posting, you have provided more background so as to better contextualize your statements and ameliorate some of your more outrageous assertions; it seems that now you are no longer blaming the poor female teacher for being so feeble, but rather indicting the "System" for putting her into that untenable situation - a reasonable and fair position! You've also explained that mechanisms and procedures should have been put into place so that a teacher could call upon trained assistance (vulgo: "muscle") if a risky situation should arise. Also praiseworthy!
But you still haven't distanced yourself from your initial reproof of me for suggesting that "male teachers - who have probably already been victimized by school policies re. 'reverse discrimination' and 'patriarchy' - would be fools to "step up to the plate" and intercede when a female colleague is in distress.
If a dedicated squad of bruisers is on "stand-by" and ready to jump into action when a teacher (of EITHER sex) requests assistance, I'm all for it (though I have already pointed out that, in a thoroughly "woke" system, this would only shift the problem, with the physically fit male security personnel then constantly having to intercede and "rescue" their weaker, less-fit female counterparts - a point that you have yet to respond to).
Regards,
Hello,
Asperger‘s syndrome patient here. You did absolutely great, Mr. Piytar. My compliments:-)
And I agree with the reaction of your school. They did the right thing.
I agree with you totally, Ma‘am.
Such decisions, i.e., where to have an autistic child educated, should be done on a case-by- case basis. I‘m afraid that’s the best way, though it’s a difficult and expensive decision…I know…
Anyway, I would like to express my compliments on your son and his heroism :-) I wish I could visit your family in Texas and thank him personally - he is really, really great :-)
This student (Brendan) is intellectually disabled. (Remember, in the old days, we used the word “retarded.”)
He’s not the typical student who gets into trouble. He’s a special ed student.
Yes, many students today are over-diagnosed. But not this student.
It’s obvious in his arrest video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KELL-gjL6t0
Notice how he says, “I don’t want to go to jail. I have more important places to be.”
His adoptive mother gives his whole history here: https://flaglerlive.com/brendan-depa-my-son-story/#gsc.tab=0
The victim accepted a job as a “paraprofessional,” which means she agreed to work with these disabled kids.
Sometimes these special ed students hurt people. That’s the risk you take in that job.
OTHER SPECIAL ED STUDENTS ATTACKED AIDES IN THIS SAME SCHOOL SYSTEM. But, those students were hardly even punished.
You can read all about those cases here: https://flaglerlive.com/depa-disparities/#gsc.tab=0
Both those students were 18 when they attacked aides. Brendan was 17.
Both those students are white. Brendan is black, and he’s on video attacking a white aide.
Both those students attacked people in their classroom. Brendan attacked someone in the hallway, so it’s on video.
Neither of those two students was sentenced to prison. Brendan is facing 30 years.
If anyone here thinks he should be facing prison time, then they should be screaming about those other special ed students, too.
I say none of these students (including Brendan) should be sent to prison. They should be sent to an institution.
No, I don’t know this student, but I have experience with people with these kinds of disabilities.
He's only facing serious jail time because the attack was caught on video, and the video went viral.
Two other special ed students attacked people in the same school system, and they were hardly punished at all:
You're 100% right, but most teachers teach more than one course. When I was teaching High School, I usually had three classes full of dunces like this, and then two Honors classes. So I'd have had to be a Delta Force ninja to teach three of my classes, and an erudite academic to teach the other two. Same teacher, different parts of the day.
I don't care where they put them as long as there are bars on the windows and locks on the doors. They should not be in a regular school. But as to your she knew what she signed up for attitude... really? She signed up to work with children. This fellow is physically an adult, a huge one. With criminal tendencies. Personally, I can't just shrug her injuries off with hey, she signed up for it.
This process is how criminals end up with 12 page rap sheets.
Of course! I was simply allowing myself a snarky comment.
Regards,
Any savage that cannot be trusted to control themselves should be in prison.
sure, i agree. you don’t generally apply a Judeo/Christian standard of justice to an incompetent, or some one not of age. or say a lion who kills his trainer because it’s wild or just sick, is not subject to a human standard of justice. the animal is morally incapable of evil.
so certainly the incompetent or child doesn’t belong in the general prison population, but what to do?
with the rogue or sick animal, nevertheless, you still generally destroy the animal humanely, because the animal cannot be trained and now has a taste for for killing humans. do you understand, the distinction. the animal cannot be allowed to pose the same risk, to other trainers. either that or you have to stop being trainers and shut down the circus or zoo.
similarly, the incompetent, or the child who is violent and dangerous must be kept from the opportunity for violence. possibility physical assault must be limited as best we can.
somehow the child must be removed from the classroom or the threat must be limited in the classroom.
well, i see you’re back to the attack!
certainly ‘fair’ i guess since i gave ‘last word’ and have now continued to respond in the thread. very well. i’ve got church right now but i’ll come back to read your latest, later.
dadfly
Do not twist what I wrote. I didn't "shrug her injuries off," either. I wrote that she's a paraprofessional who agreed to work with special ed students, and sometimes these students hurt the staff members.
In other words, she's not a teacher working with typical students. Special ed programs and group homes are begging for paraprofessionals. They'll take almost anyone for that job, but it carries a risk. I've been desperate for work at times, yet I've never taken such a job because I know the risk.
The other two special ed students were hardly punished when they attacked staff members in this same school system. So, don't be surprised if this student ends up with probation, too, because he's a special ed student.
"I don't care where they put them as long as there are bars on the windows and locks on the doors. They should not be in a regular school."
Guess who else didn't want this student in the school system: HIS PARENTS.
As this student's mother explained, she and her husband placed Brendan into "long-term hospitalization," but the insurance "forced his discharge." So, they were forced to look for other options, and they found an intensive behavioral group home called ECHO.
His mother wrote:
From the beginning of his time at ECHO, I expressed my reservations about Brendan being placed in the public school system. I was told by ECHO that Brendan had to attend a public school because the Agency for Persons with Disabilities only covered day programs for clients who had graduated high school or turned 22. I was assured by the group home that they place all their clients in the public schools and that a crisis team was only ten minutes away.
Source
Please see my post #117 above. His parents didn’t want him in the public school system, either. They put him in a long-term care facility, but the insurance company forced his discharge. The rest of the story is in my post.
i see and thanks. the parents were certainly trying.
ok. back to you.
A. ‘dadfly seems to be all about blaming the victim.’
yes. you are correct. from the first comment, i was apportioning some blame to the victim. you are at least *partially* responsible for poor judgment in not recognizing or preparing for your own limitations limitations in a dangerous situation.
B. ‘dadfly, in contrast, believes that she doesn’t deserve to teach unless she has ninja powers and “Spidey senses.”’
uh no. how you get from A to B below says more about your powers of reason than anything else.
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