Kindergartner arrested for tantrum

Quandary · Post by **Quandary** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 3:31 pm

While wasting time on the Internet, I just found this interesting article: http://www.slate.com/id/2164004/entry/0/fr/rss/

Apparently a kindergartner got upset during class and hit the teacher, so the police were called and she was arrested and charged with a felony and two misdemeanors.

This sounds like exactly the thing I would like police to be doing... making sure our 6-year-olds who might be angry are safe behind bars.

Fredjikrang · Post by **Fredjikrang** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 3:40 pm

True, but if the teacher had touched the kid to punish him, or even to forcefully remove him from the room, she would be fired, and have much more severe charges against her.

Avocado · Post by **Avocado** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 4:49 pm

Good ol' legal system, keeping us safe.

That's crazy that she kept trying to get out of the cop car, though. If the police came to pick me up as a six-year-old, it would have scared the snot out of me.

Benvolio · Post by **Benvolio** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:31 pm

I gather that this was not your ordinary temper tantrum. Sounds like the teacher did the right thing by calling the cops, even if it sounds absurd. If you can't pop the kid one, the next best thing is to cuff 'em, Dan-o.

John Doe III · Post by **John Doe III** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:33 pm

... or maybe go up the school ranks and send the kid to the principal's office...

Benvolio · Post by **Benvolio** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:52 am

John Doe III wrote:... or maybe go up the school ranks and send the kid to the principal's office...

Where's the fun in that?

To be a bit more serious, if the worry was that restraining the child would be so difficult as to possibly raise corporal punishment issues, it wouldn't really help to go up the chain of command. I note that the article says "school officials" called the police, which seems to indicate that the teacher did seek the aid of higher-ups. And school officials do have a duty to maintain the safety of the other children.

That said, this sounds like a pretty extreme option to take. (I really was kidding with that "cuff 'em" comment.) Did they try to contact her parents? Did they try to send her to the principles office? I think I'd feel better about this result if I knew that the officials tried other options first before they called the cops.

Fredjikrang · Post by **Fredjikrang** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 3:21 pm

I am willing to bet that they did try to send her to the Principals office, but they can't make the kid go. With how schools are arranged right now, there is no one in the school that can legally touch a child. So, if a kid wants to sit in the corner and scream all day the teacher can't do anything about it, neither can the principal or anyone else. If the child is actually hurting other people that is a different matter, but for annoyance/distraction only, there is nothing that any school employ can do if the child is not willing to leave.

Hence I propose at least one "security authorized" teacher in every school. This teacher would go through special training and would be responsible for any necessary physical responses to a child.

Avocado · Post by **Avocado** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 3:38 pm

The article and police report say:

"She cried. She wailed. She kicked. She scratched. She hit a teacher. "

She wasn't just causing a disturbance; she was actually hurting other people. Could the teacher have actually restrained her in self defense? Possibly, but it's probably a scary prospect because who knows what kind of law suit would have emerged. Still, I can't believe that there wasn't any other option besides calling the police and having them issue a felony and throw her in jail. It sounds like the kid had some kind of mental/emotional problem, since she just freaked out and wouldn't calm down for the teacher, the "front office" (school administration?), or even the police. Since they couldn't get ahold of her parents, she probably should have been transferred to some kind of mental health facility, but maybe they can't do that without parental permission.

On a side note, 50 pounds seems pretty big for a six-year-old. I probably didn't hit 50 until I was about 10.

Tao · Post by **Tao** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 4:42 pm

On a personal note, I remember a kid in my kindergarten class that threw a tantrum and swore, flipped off and (if I remember right) swung at our teacher. The principal came and had to manhandle (kidhandle?) him out of the room. I don't know if the officials became involved, but it wouldn't surprise me. Also I think this kid was 5 whereas the girl in FL was almost 7, hence the 50 lbs.

Also of note I grew up in a small town (pop.~5000 Avon Park is ~8500) and had been picked up by the police while a first grader.

I had walked with a friend from school to a near-by park and had subsequently stayed there playing until 6. My mother had grown concerned and called the police, asking them to keep an eye out for me. When I noticed a police car pull up to the park and knowing it was not unusual to send the police after a wayward child, I immediately noted the time and headed home. The officer recognized me and pulled up and offered me a ride. The police are more able to become involved in a small town.

What bothers me a little is the information posted online. Name, mother's name, most of address, DOB, along with information on witnesses, ect. Would not the synopsis and maybe the statute information be all that is necessary?

Eponine · Post by **Eponine** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:52 pm

oh my goodness... I can't believe this actually happened... I get hit by kids all the time at work and no one arrests them! Pshaw. Next tantrum, I'm calling the police. forget about time outs!

Werf_Must · Post by **Werf_Must** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:34 am

Tao wrote:On a personal note, I remember a kid in my kindergarten class that threw a tantrum and swore, flipped off and (if I remember right) swung at our teacher. The principal came and had to manhandle (kidhandle?) him out of the room. I don't know if the officials became involved, but it wouldn't surprise me. Also I think this kid was 5 whereas the girl in FL was almost 7, hence the 50 lbs.

Also of note I grew up in a small town (pop.~5000 Avon Park is ~8500) and had been picked up by the police while a first grader.

I had walked with a friend from school to a near-by park and had subsequently stayed there playing until 6. My mother had grown concerned and called the police, asking them to keep an eye out for me. When I noticed a police car pull up to the park and knowing it was not unusual to send the police after a wayward child, I immediately noted the time and headed home. The officer recognized me and pulled up and offered me a ride. The police are more able to become involved in a small town.

What bothers me a little is the information posted online. Name, mother's name, most of address, DOB, along with information on witnesses, ect. Would not the synopsis and maybe the statute information be all that is necessary?

I remember an incident in kindergarten when a student got upset and started cursing/flipping people off. One student told the teacher, and asked me to verify the claims saying something along the lines of 'Didn't he give us the finger?' I was completely lost, because of my sheltered background...

xkcd *** · Post by xkcd *** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:37 am

Werf_Must wrote: I remember an incident in kindergarten when a student got upset and started cursing/flipping people off. One student told the teacher, and asked me to verify the claims saying something along the lines of 'Didn't he give us the finger?' I was completely lost, because of my sheltered background...

I was very sheltered as well... I do believe I was in 8th grade till I fully understood.

Werf_Must · Post by **Werf_Must** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:42 am

I started getting some things by word of mouth around 3rd grade, but I really learned a lot when I picked up a dictionary in 6th grade and that was a big point of understanding... and actually, in the last couple years I have heard much more slang and the whole urban dictionary thing has become relevant (although there is non G-rated content on there)

Cognoscente · Post by **Cognoscente** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 1:41 am

Saying that there's non-G-rated material on urban dictionary is like saying there are mormons in Utah.