Posted on 04/19/2011 9:16:18 PM PDT by smokingfrog
A father has been charged with child abuse after encouraging his son to fight with a school bully, encouraging him to 'slam his head on the ground'.
Philip Scott Struthers, from Florida, was arrested and ordered by a judge to stay away from his children after a video showing him screaming at his son to viscously fight with another was given to police.
The video shows the 41-year-old coaching Jake, 16, through the fist fight and giving him orders like: 'Punch his eyes out...Slam his head on the ground.'
He was arrested and charged with child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
In court, he was ordered to stay away from all minors, including his own children.
The judge, who was astounded at the case, told him: 'Your relationship with your child is over with. You cannot see, live with or communicate with your minor children.'
Struthers appeared on Good Morning America today to try and defend his actions saying he was just trying to protect his son from bullies.
He said: 'I apologize for what I said but I do stand behind protecting my son.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Get your kids in martial arts and you won’t have to instruct them on what to do.
“This was in Florida.”
Ah, ty! Just looked at the UK headline.
I hope this guy gets some good representation and smashes this judge into pulp. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Florida has some truly bizarre domestic case law IIRC from Janet Reno’s days and deeds.
At 16 years old it is no longer *bullying* and more like *intimidation.*
16 year-olds can be tried as adults for assaulting.
This father was totally wreckless.
And hardly grooming his son for success.
The father was right in telling his kid to defend himself and kick the snot out of ANY bully.....but the cheering stuff? Lame.
Back in the day in Catholic School, if two students had a beef, the priest would give both of them boxing gloves and let them go at it. Usually afterwards, the two would become friends.
No one is saying not to stand up to bullies. That’s ridiculous and I think you know that saying that is ridiculous.
I am saying there is a pretty big difference between parents cheering at a sport where their kids may get hurt, like wrestling, boxing, football or hockey and parents cheering their kid on during a fistfight with a bully in a school yard.
If you don’t see that then there’s very little left to discuss.
The 4th grade bully in my school actually had me over to try and spar with him. Turned out I could hold my own pretty well and never had another issue with him or anyone else for years.
It’s just life.
Ok, he loses a few style points for that, but it's nothing I would worry about....except for this idiot judge.
Back when our society was sane.
I agree on that...the judge went overboard with the ruling.
Then again, when daddy plays the role of Don King AND ring announcer, he was asking for it. Should have told his kid to just kick the sh*t out of him and don;t come home for supper until you do.
Saw the video. Misdemeanor.... maybe. Felony child abuse? BS.
There is a difference, the judge was more wrong than the father though.
England and the rest of the UK are lost. They should be ashamed.
This happened in Florida.
The only way you can blame the UK on this one is if the judge was from the old country.
Maybe if Dad had done a better job of teaching his kid the fundamentals he wouldn't have felt the need to coach from the sidelines.
There is little more frustrating than being a father and having some pencil-necked weenie ignore reports of bullying day after day, unless you are the victim himself.
At some point, the school was a dismal failure at taking care of the problem, so the kid did the job. I can see dad cheering that on after heaven only knows how much BS, whether it seems tacky from the cheapseats or not.
Dad couldn't do anything directly, and no matter how tacky it sounds, it exposes the level of dad's frustration, too.
The failure isn't the father, it is the d@mned school system hiding behind ineffective "anti-bullying programs" and "conflict resolution" which did nothing to curb the abuse which led to the boy fighting back.
The judge is taking this out on the wrong person, imho. Where were the people "in control" of the school? Who cites them for allowing the man's son to be abused by the bully?
Absolutely perfect.
This is what happens when I read an article, click to reply, get interrupted, read another article, get interrupted, and reply to the second article in the reply box of the first article. Mea culpa.
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