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.
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.
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.