Little Haiti shop owner says he's justified in spanking teenage girl

Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel ^ | 12.29.03 | Diana Marrero

[mhking]

MIAMI -- The 13-year-old girl has a pretty face and a slight frame. But to Lonnie Grigsby, 52, her sweet appearance masks an unruly attitude.

Grigsby, who runs a mini-mart just blocks from the girl's middle school in Little Haiti, says the teenager sassed him one too many times this month.

So Grigsby took off his belt and gave the girl what he thought she needed: a "good whupping."

"She's beyond sassy; she's out of control," said Grigsby, who said he hit the girl after she called him a number of expletives and threw two coins at his head. "I bet her parents never gave her a whupping. She needed it."

Grigsby's actions landed him in jail and set off a firestorm of debate in a community divided by both generational and cultural differences when it comes to disciplining children.

[go star go]

well i suspect you're grown so you make your decisions knowing some dads don't allow you the luxury of beating on our daughters. just hope you don't make the mistake with the wrong daughter.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

He said that the nickles hit him in the head, that is assault.

No, he doesn't. He says that she threw them at his head. NOT that they stuck him. So, no assault.

[FITZ]

The 13-year-old girl has a pretty face

I wouldn't be too sure that his intentions were all wholesome.

[CyberCowboy777]

Okay.

I guess I can take a swing at whomever I like.

[FITZ]

The breaking point, he said, was when she gave him too much money for a 60-cent bag of chips. "You can't count?" he recalls asking.

You don't think the 52 man wasn't doing a little provoking? Maybe trying to get her to sass him even? It's completely unnecessary to insult some kid over giving you the wrong change.

[CyberCowboy777]

I wouldn't prosecute a man on assumptions.

In this country we convict on proof of a crime.

[CyberCowboy777]

Sure.

I guess it is open season on rude people.


I can just start throwing things every time a person is rude. Hell why not throw nickles at rude drivers?

If they don't hit anyone I can get off, and even if they did... who cares I was provoked.

For some reason you keep going back to what he did. I am not defending him. I want BOTH of them punished according t their crimes.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

As long as you don't connect.

Remember, your right to swing your arm ends where my nose begins.

Or in this case your right to swing your belt/hurl nickels ends where her/his fanny/head begins.

I am not saying that she was right to do it, big over reaction, but it wasn't assault.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I wouldn't do that to other drivers. The laws about throwing things at moving vehicles are a little different.

But otherwise knock yourself out. :)

[Cultural Jihad]

BUT - We all know that the shopkeeper could have called the parents or the police and nothing would have been done about it.

As they say, two wrongs don't make a right.

[CyberCowboy777]

Fine

I don't care. The nickle never hit, the spit never hit.

You can continue to punish these big bad mean men until you figure out that they start out as brat kids that are never held responsible for there actions.

Until then property damage will continue to rise, petty theft will continue rise, deaths by reckless teen drivers will continue to rise and smart-ass kids will continue to roam the streets. Smiles for everyone, the big bad man was arrested.

Liberty and Justice for some (the ones that do not offend our sensibilities anyway)

[CyberCowboy777]

My point exactly.

He never should have assaulted that kid.

She should have been dealt with a long time ago.

One will be dealt with, the other felt sorry for.

[Old Student]

"So let me see if I understand this: If a 52 year old man beat your 13 year old daughter because she "sassed" him, and threw a couple of nickles at him (oh yeah, that was a vicious assault on her part!), you would have no problem with that?"

You left out the part where she spat on him. Attempted homicide, these days. NOW do you get the picture?

[annyokie]

LOL God made them cute so that we don't strangle them. ; )

[Old Student]

"Spanking with other than an open hand is child abuse."

Depends on which state you're in. Not here in Oklahoma, for sure. Also, what is appropriate for a small child is less than adequate for a teenager.

Some places, speaking harshly to a misbehaving child is considered child abuse.

[annyokie]

My little guy is the only one in the first grade who waits until an adult is done speaking to say his piece, says "please" and "thank you", "yes ma'am" and "no sir." His teacher is impressed and we are proud.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Good grief, take a breath man! You are starting to hyperventilate.

The little girl should be made to apologize and barred from the store. That is justice in her case.

Maybe if the shopkeeper had been made to apologize for being a smart mouth when he was a teen... Nah, I doubt it.

[annyokie]

I was speaking from my own point of view. Oklahoma allows corporal punishment in the public schools.

[SendShaqtoIraq]

Really? You only have his word for how she acted.

[SoftballMominVA]

I understand--and you proved my point. Because you taught your child when she was young, punishment was rare and physical punishment nonexistant as a teen. My point is simply if you can't control them when they are young, the first spanking at 13, 15, or older is counterproductive.

We use the G. Goron Liddy rules for guns in our house. Both of my girls have respect for weapons--and can shoot as well as most adults. But since they are 16 and 13, the handling is done under close supervision. Although they would be severely punished for breaking the rules, I don't see it happening. The lessons were taught early, like you did, not late.