Posted on 03/19/2005 7:40:47 AM PST by ShadowDancer
5-Year-Old Arrested For Candy Outburst At School
POSTED: 12:52 pm EST March 18, 2005
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Florida school officials are apologizing for the arrest of a 5-year-old, whose tantrum landed her in the back of a police cruiser.
Officials said the girl threw books and boxes, kicked a teacher in the shins, smashed a candy dish, hit an assistant principal in the stomach and drew on the walls. She was upset when a teacher took away jelly beans she was counting in a math exercise at Fairmount Park Elementary School.
Minutes later, she was under arrest for battery. The 40-pound girl's hands were bound with plasic ties and her ankles in handcuffs.
A school superintendent said campus police should have been called. He said school officials "never want to have 5-year-old children arrested."
No charges were filed and the girl went home with her mother, who said her daughter will not return. In her words, "They set my baby up."
You are right, there is too many to keep track of. Thanks for adding to the list.
I'm stating a fact. A spank on the bottom would have solved the tantrum issue.
The matter of school's dicipline systems being screwed up, however, is another matter.
Make sure any teacher your child has knows this up front. Candy is fairly common in schools these days. Mostly it is given as behavior rewards. Occasionally, it is used to make a lesson more interesting. For example, it seems fairly common for 1st grade teachers to use small bags of M&M's or skittles for the children to sort and graph the colors. I've seen bar graphs made with empty candy bar wrappers after Halloween.
Do you object to all candy or just candy as a bribe?
Someone set up baby the bomb.
And now mommy owns you, and everything that you have worked hard all your life to earn. What part of "teachers are forbidden from even touching students" do you not understand? Despite what you would "like" to see happen in a "sane" world, we live in the very insane (and grotesquely litigious) world of the here and now. So, under the present circumstances, what would you have the adult do in this situation? And are you willing to pledge your personal wealth and belongings as collateral for the teacher who follows your advice?
It's a good thing I don't have any boys or I would swear he was mine.
First, "wriggling" is the word I intended. Nothing wrong with it as I used it. Happy to have you suggest another word though.
OK, that side point aside let's wriggle into the rest of your reply.
And now mommy owns you, and everything that you have worked hard all your life to earn. What part of "teachers are forbidden from even touching students" do you not understand?
If you can't touch the student, remove all the other kids from the classroom and leave the kid in their alone. That will have the same effect as removing her.
Despite what you would "like" (what are the scare quotes about?) to see happen in a "sane" world, we live in the very insane (and grotesquely litigious) world of the here and now. So, under the present circumstances, what would you have the adult do in this situation? And are you willing to pledge your personal wealth and belongings as collateral for the teacher who follows your advice?
Yep, I would do that. I'm sure if they did it my way the problem would be resolved. In my job I have to deal with the seemingly impossible and contradictory all the time. Solving what no one on the team can solve is exactly my job description.
I'm curious, is solving a wiggling 5-year-old in your (a teachers) job description? If not, they why do someone else's job?
No, they never found her but the foster mother was just convicted of killing her.
D*mn. I didn't know that. Thanks.
I could see my 3 1/2 year old doing something similar, if she was in a particularly bad mood (i.e. from a lack of sleep, or sick, or whatever). In fact, she's hit other kids and teachers, and thrown a couple of things.
Make no mistake, I consider that type of behavior to be UNACCEPTABLE from my 3 1/2 year old, let alone a kid 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 years older than that. My wife and I have punished her for that in various ways, and the frequency has dropped considerably (which is probably due at least as much to the normal maturation process as to our punishments). BUT...
NO FREAKING WAY will I EVER tolerate any school official having my kid arrested and bound for nonsense like this. The kid in this article was a brat, no doubt, and did a bunch wrong - but she was 5 YEARS OLD. How about calling the parents and having them deal with it? How about suspending her for a week or two? This utter lack of judgment and concern about the effect of such treatment on a small child deserves a lawsuit (or a good beating for the principal from Dad, but that's probably not legal). I say that as someone who is NOT in favor of any kind of abuse of the legal system.
No wonder cops aren't respected anymore.
While at the same time pedophiles are kidnapping our daughters from their bedroom windows and slaughtering them.
Arresting and cuffing a 5 yo is absurd, under ANY circumstances imo.
We as a country have got to get our priorities straight.
PS: Bring back the school paddle and use it when needed. If a parent doesnt sign a form allowing it their kids dont go. I bet the cops were embarrassed to be put in this ridiculous position.
Agreed. I still remember when I was in elementary school, my parents would tell my teacher every year, in my presence, that he/she had their permission to use corporal punishment on me if I got out of control. That permission worked wonders in helping me control myself. :-)
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