FL Teacher Sues Orange County District over "Kindergartner from Hell"

WND.com ^ | 06-01-03 | WND.com

[Theodore R.]

Teacher sues over 'kindergartner from hell' Claims disruptive boy caused 'loss of enjoyment of life'

Posted: June 1, 2003 1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

A veteran teacher has filed suit against Orange County public schools over the humiliation, emotional and physical distress, and "loss of enjoyment of life" she claims she suffered because the district failed to remove a disruptive child from her class, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

Teacher Cheri Dean (Courtesy: Orlando Sentinel)

"What I want out of this is justice," the paper quotes teacher Cheri Dean as saying. "What's so amazing is that these kinds of things are going on in other schools, and teachers won't say anything because they are intimidated."

The lawsuit contains multiple pages of examples of the boy's bullying and reportedly violent behavior at Lockhart Elementary in the fall of 2001.

Dean, 51, claims she kept a log of his misbehavior after the boy was reassigned to her classroom from another teacher's class.

Among the child's offenses, the suit details how he purportedly stabbed a classmate with a fork at lunch, started another fight and then told a teacher's aide to "kiss my butt."

On another occasion, according to the Sentinel, the boy hit two students, one in the back of the head and the other in the face, swung his fists at a third student and then punched a fourth who was reading, calling him an "ugly faggot."

Other students support Dean(Courtesy: Orlando Sentinel)

Dean said she repeatedly asked her principal to remove the child from the classroom, but was rebuffed.

"She was angry because no one was helping her or helping the child, who wasn't at a place where he should have been," Don Dean, the teacher's husband told the paper.

It is unclear to what extent the parents of the child were consulted on the matter.

Ultimately, Dean was reassigned to Catalina Elementary.

According to the Sentinel, school records indicate she had become disruptive to the school. She was reprimanded for filing a false complaint against her principal just before her transfer.

The school district's attorney defended the administration's handling of the matter.

Frank Kruppenbacher told the Sentinel a committee considered Dean's complaints, the child's behavior and how it affected the rest of the class before recommending that the student remain in the classroom.

Kruppenbacher also questioned the authenticity of Dean's log about the boy's actions.

"I find it incredible that anyone would put this kind of litany of student problems in a court case," he said.

As for the boy, he has mended his ways, according to his mother, who describes him as easily bored, wound-up and has trouble sitting still.

"There's been no fighting, no kicking and no punching at the new school," she told the paper.

At the same time Dean was transferred from Lockhart Elementary, the boy was transferred to a nearby school where certain teachers are certified to deal with challenging students.

Dean didn't fare as well from her transfer. The veteran of 18 years claims the events of the fall of 2001 so traumatized her she has been on medical leave since last fall, using all the sick days she had collected through the years, reports the Sentinel.

She has formed an informal group called Teachers Against Violence in Classrooms.

Supporters describe Dean as a good teacher. The week she left Lockhart Elementary, parents held signs in front of the school protesting her departure.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Ping! (Got a horror story to share?)

[Oberon]

The child is obviously ADHD, a serious medical condition that needs treatment.

[snicker!] But that was the treatment.

[honeygrl]

"My grandson threw a "fit" in a DQ about a year ago when he was 2. "

I have a 2 1/2 yr old who throws a tantrum over any tiny thing that annoys him. If his toy car won't roll just like he wants he screams and has a fit. Public, private, with or without attention he doesn't care. I've spanked, I've ignored, and I've tried time out. The closest thing that seems to help is the time out thing until he gets himself under control. I also have a 7mth old that is luckily an easy baby so I can deal with my son when I need to without her adding to it. I've been battling his temper for about 4 mths now and am at a loss now for stopping it. At this point I fear the only thing I can do is hope it's just the "terrible" of terrible 2's and the phase will pass. Literally every 5 minutes I'm having to stop him from either trying to hurt the cat, trying to hurt his sister, trying to break things, trying to pull out stuff he knows he's not allowed to touch, trying to pull down the blinds. Spanking doesn't phase him and he goes right back to doing whatever he was doing. Time out on the couch gives me about an hour a 1/2 of crying until he relaxes and is allowed to get back up (he can't get off the couch until the crying/screaming stops.) Lately I've resorted to using the same water squirt bottle on him that I use on the cat to stop him in whatever act he's in. It stops him from doing it but still results in screaming that you can hear from the road outside.

[PatrioticAmerican]

If teachers could spank the little brats, they might behave a bit better. Of course, redneck parents would sue.

[Teacher317]

These are the problems you get when you make education compulsory. Remove that one word, and you see worlds of improvement, as well as more freedom for the citizenry. Once children are forced to go to school and teachers are forced to teach the uneducable, these results are easily predicted.

Compulsory free education is the Tenth Plank of the Communist manifesto.

[PatrioticAmerican]

I sat next to a screaming kid in Wally-Mart and screamed as loud. The "mother" about cried from the attention I drew to her screaming brat. A few adults applauded. The kid shut up.

[Oberon]

...lots of 5 year olds try using phrases like "kiss my butt"...

We homeschool. I'd really like to see what would happen if our 7-year-old had laid this one on his teacher (who also happens to be Mom).

[CindyDawg]

It will get better. They grow out of it. Society doesn't help much now. The little ones are smart too. They seem to know that they may not get spanked in public. My grandson is his fathers son. Not really his fault. I cursed his dad. I remember telling him I hope you have three just like you. Mothers really need to be careful saying things like that. You don't think of grandchildren throwing fits at that time though. lol. Reducing how much and where you take him out in public and the time outs seem to work well. We have the dreaded red chair by the clock. One minute, 5 if really bad works for this one now. He's 3 too, so stop or we aren't going to the park or stopping for a happy meal seems to work also. I know it isn't funny now but someday you will look back and laugh. A sense of humor a must to get thru this.

[honeygrl]

"About fifteen years ago, An 5-year old kid was ripping toys out of packing @ Kroger in KY...the mother wasn't around, I followed that kid back to his mom, whispered to her what happen...she looked @ the kid, emptied his pockets, pull his pants, gave him a spanking -there on the spot in front of everybody...hopefully the kid mended his ways...if the parents are told...good parents (hopefully) will take remedial action quickly... "

I stood in line at a store yesterday with a basket of stuff in my arms. A 4 yr old in front of me *with his mom watching* proceeded to take stuff out of my basket very boldly while I'm saying "no-no that's not yours" and "no that's mine" and the mother said absolutely NOTHING to him. He actually tried to take the basket from me altogether at one point. I ended up putting my basket down and leaving the store because there was no other line available and I couldn't get the mother to stop her child from harrassing me. She actually laughed at one point even though I thought I was making it very obvious that I didn't think it was funny. I guess it was my fault though for smiling at the child beforeit started when he said hello to me./sarcasm If my 2 1/2 yr old did that to someone, he'd either get spanked or removed from the store. I know a 4yr old is young but it's still old enough to be punished for aggrivating strangers.

[CindyDawg]

Hey, all the rednecks, this redneck knows, homeschool:')

[LuisBasco]

Big Bump!

[Vinnie]

That's because if we spank them in public anymore someone calls DFCS and gets them taken away for "abuse

The incident I was involved in was really about 10-12 yrs ago. I think she could have spanked without the gov getting involved. But you are correct parental rights are rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

Here in NC we have a 'Head Start ' program to prepare kids for kindergarten. The Gov wants to have the State start on the kids at 4 yrs. old now. Next yr. it will be 3 yrs.
In ten years the State will own your kids. You will be allowed 'visitation'. Maybe for the 'Winter Holiday' that falls the last week of December.

[honeygrl]

"Good Lord, you Neanderthal!!!! Violence is NEVER the answer. The child is obviously ADHD, a serious medical condition that needs treatment. (sarcasm off) "

FOr a child that bad I'm not sure I'd be opposed to putting him and his mother on some medication! lol

[Hootowl]

Shucks, I work in one of the Devereux schools that deals only with this kind of child. I've got a classroom full of them. These kids can be handled, but it takes years of treatment and a very dedicated staff.

[maxwell]

I don't have a problem with them wallowing around, screaming like banshees

Dude, you got more, uh, tolerance or something than I ever will. If I ever get anklebiters (G-d forbid), I will regard any such behavior as a reflection on ME, and a bad one at that, and accordingly get medieval on somebody's little heinie.

[CajunConservative]

If teachers could spank the little brats, they might behave a bit better. Of course, redneck parents would sue

The rednecks I know would proceed to spank the little brats when they got home for getting in trouble in the first place.

[lawdude]

"Now when she encounters disruptive students, she tapes them."

Boy oh boy there is a violation of the little ba**ards civil rights and right to extreme privacy!

[maxwell]

The rednecks I know would proceed to spank the little brats when they got home for getting in trouble in the first place.

Hey, my ma did that...

[LuisBasco]

Our son volunteered years ago for the same assignment.

[honeygrl]

"Don't you think a truely disturbed 5 year old couldn't come up with something worse than what's being described? Little boys sometimes like to fight ---it's not exactly unusual behavior ---never was. I know teachers expect all children to sit quietly at their desks with their hands folded and paying close attention ---but at 5 years old, many kids aren't ready to do that for hours on end. "

But that much violence and intentionally mean behavior from a 5yr old is a bad bad sign of real problems.