Teacher 'taped boy's mouth'

BBC News ^ | Tuesday, 10 February, 2004

[presidio9]

Education officials are investigating a claim by an 11-year-old boy with learning difficulties that a teacher taped his mouth to stop him talking in class. Ben Deacy alleges his mouth was taped during a lesson at Llanrumney High School, in Cardiff, last Thursday.

It is also claimed that the teacher involved in the incident wrote in a school report which the boy took home: "Excellent work - once I taped his mouth up!!"

The boy's mother, Kay Morgan, said the teacher's alleged actions were "stupid" and added that she was now keeping Ben, who cannot read or write, home from school.

Ben's mother Kay Morgan

Cardiff Council has confirmed that an investigation will be carried out.

The school's headmaster, Don Barnfield, told the South Wales Echo that the incident was "grave error".

He is reported to have said: "What seems to have happened is an inexperienced member of teaching staff has made a grave error. The pupil was talking a lot during the lesson and a piece of masking tape, a very small piece, was put on his lips.

"It was just a symbolic piece, if you like, to make the point that he needed to work quietly. It wasn't appropriate and goes against all our codes here in school.

"It was a very, very silly thing to do and I can understand Ben's family being very upset by this.

'Appropriate action'

"The tape wasn't put the long way over the mouth. It was a small piece going from the top to the bottom lip and wasn't blocking his breathing.

"It was totally inappropriate and I will need to take appropriate action."

Ms Morgan, 45, said her son had become "a bit quieter" since the incident.

She claimed the tape had been placed across Ben's mouth and he had been taken to see a doctor after getting an allergic rash.

Ms Morgan added: "He wants to go back to school because he does like it, but he doesn't want to see that teacher.

"If a parent had done that they would have the social services on to them.

School report

"Ben has a tendency to talk a lot but to tape his mouth up is just wrong.

"No teacher should be doing things like that to children - especially children like Ben who have special needs.

"He brought his school report home at the end of the day and I couldn't believe my eyes."

Ms Morgan added that she would make a complaint to Llanrumney High School.

A statement released on behalf of Cardiff Council said: "Prompt and appropriate action was taken following existing procedures and relevant actions are now being considered.

"Investigations will be carried out but it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this stage in accordance with clear procedure."

A South Wales Police spokesman said no official complaint had been made to them about the incident.

[LisaMalia]

Poor Mary...not only is he extremely ugly........

[presidio9]

size matters?

Well, they can't possibly have a lot to talk about.

[SoftballMominVA]

This is a British school. That may be the reason that he is listed as "high school." I THINK that England has elementary and high.

[luckystarmom]

I child with Tourette Syndrome cannot control the urge to talk. So you are saying that a kid like that should be whipped.

It's nice when you have a normal kid, but you should trying raising a kid with real special needs.

I have a daughter with severe brain damage, and I'd be pissed off if a teacher did anything like that to her.

[luckystarmom]

The article says the kid has a learning disability.

Some kids never learn to read an write. Just be lucky if you have kids that are normal.

Sometimes people in this group are really not very understanding of kids with special needs.

I know. I have a daughter with severe brain damage.
You would never know it by looking at her. Sometimes looks are deceiving.

[Xenalyte]

First, I have no children.

Second, my brother has a learning disability, and he can read and write - not with any great facility, but he can do it.

Nowhere in the article does it say a word about "special needs" - just "learning disability," which as we all know is a recent catch-all for "the kid acts up and won't behave in class or learn anything."

It should go without saying that I'm not talking about children with real honest-to-God special needs. I'm talking about coddled mama's boys whose parents never made them behave.

[presidio9]

CATFIGHT!

[luckystarmom]

Well, since you don't have children then you don't know what this "catch all" phrase means.

Learning disabilities come under dyslexia, speech impairment (where someone cannot talk at all), ADD, ADHD, and a whole multitude of other problems.

My daughter is actually not considered learning disabled. It is very hard to be considered learning disabled. She does not meet the testing requirements (she is considered other health impaired).

I'm glad that your brother can read and write, but every kid is different. If a child is having behavior problems, then the teacher needs to notify the parent and a behavior plan needs to be inacted.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Give it a break. A child with Tourettes Syndrome to the point that they blurt out is so rare that most people have never met one. In 1970 it wasn't even heard of by most people.

Believe me I have TWO boys with ADD. ADD isn't anything new. Discipline helps them more than mollycoddling. Excusing their behavior only leads to them having a tougher time bringing it under control when they are adults.

I am truly sorry that your daughter is severely brain damaged. If your daughter is as brain damaged as you say, she should be in classes that can provide for her special needs. "Mainstreaming" her only drags down the rest of the kids.

IMO, one of the worst things that politicians have done is to insist that all children receive at least a high school diploma. Some of the laws they passed encourage kids that probably should drop out (the druggies, unmotivated losers, etc.) and they do little but disrupt those who want to learn.

[DameAutour]

A child who is disabled to the point where they cause a disruption in class should not be in a "normal" class.

This boy is 11 years old and is so disabled he cannot read or write and apparently can't stop talking. He should not be in a classroom where he can disrupt the other students. It is not good for him or the other students, and not at all fair for the teacher.

Based on the information in the article, I think that is more the root of the problem, and not a bad teacher.

[presidio9]

I hope you're proud of yourself. You took a perfectly good thread about a kid who looks like Ralphie getting his mouth taped shut, and you turned it serious. I hope your proud of yourself missy.

And this on a day when I can't swing a dead cat without geting my threads banished to chat purgatory.

[LibertarianInExile]

Nowhere in the article does it say a word about "special needs" - just "learning disability," which as we all know is a recent catch-all for "the kid acts up and won't behave in class or learn anything."

Well said. Methinks your luckystarmom doth protest too much.

WTF should a Tourette's kid be doing in a regular classroom anyway, luckystarmom? Why would a kid with 'special needs' in this way in a class with other 'not special needs kids' when their presence cannot serve but to distract from learning?

If a disabled or 'special needs' kid is placed in a classroom with other kids, that kid should be treated like other kids. That is supposedly the reason they are there in the first place, to be treated the same as other children. If the kid is an exception to regular treatment somehow simply because of his/her disability, then that disability had better not be distracting to the other students' ability to learn or their parents are getting less for their tax dollar than the parents of the disabled kid. I don't care if the disabled kid has two personalities, two faces, or two left feet, my kid is going to get the education I pay for, whether in a public or private school, and if I hear about a yipping or cursing or yapping kid keeping him from learning, that school's going to get a complaint and I'm going to work to get the yipper/curser/yapper out of my kid's classroom.

What those who want to play the pity card refuse to recognize is the same thing that affirmative action and feminist groups refuse to recognize: you ain't more deserving of consideration than me or mine simply because there is some disability that you have. I'm sick of hearing otherwise from disabled or minority or other 'special' groups, whether they're kids or not.

I'm mad as hell and I ain't gonna take it any more, and I sure ain't letting my kid take it when I can dish it out!

[Buffettbassman]

Where are they teaching. I'd LOVE to send my kids to a right of center school. Even the Catholic school is so left leaning they're just shy of socialist.

[Buffettbassman]

Where are they teaching. I'd LOVE to send my kids to a right of center school. Even the Catholic school is so left leaning they're just shy of socialist.

[Buffettbassman]

Where are they teaching. I'd LOVE to send my kids to a right of center school. Even the Catholic school is so left leaning they're just shy of socialist.

[Buffettbassman]

Where are they teaching. I'd LOVE to send my kids to a right of center school. Even the Catholic school is so left leaning they're just shy of socialist.

[petercooper]

ADD, ADHD, and a whole multitude of other problems.

ADD and ADHD are made up scams, like Kwannza.

[LibertarianInExile]

There are MUCH more productive things to do with your dead cat, presidio.

[presidio9]

...and the "10% gayness ratio."

...and the idea that the middle class pays taxes.

[LisaMalia]

The article says the kid has a learning disability.

Being labeled as having a "learning disability" in this day and age is not what it used to be. Students diagnosed with ADD, etc. are lumped in that category.

This is an "out" for many high school students. They have a free pass. Permanent expulsion is not an option for them. There are virtually no consequences for their actions, other than the occasional 10 day vacation.