Teen Charged With Disruption Of School

[Agent_Orange]

STUART, Fla. -- A student at a Florida school has been arrested after authorities say he was "passing gas" and turned off his classmates' computers.

 

According to a report released Friday by the Martin County Sheriff's Office, the 13-year-old boy "continually disrupted his classroom environment" by intentionally breaking wind. He then shut off some computers other students were using.

 

The Spectrum Junior-Senior High School was arrested Nov. 4.

 

A school resource officer placed the boy under arrest after he confessed about his behavior, according to the report. He was charged with disruption of school function and released to his mother.

[Tony_K]

"ASS"ault with a deadly weapon...? Next thing you know FL may enroll him in Hang Em High (school)...

[Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs]

Unreal! That's what junior high-schoolers do! What happened to suspensions?

[Jerry_75_Guy]

I don't suppose anyone in the district is motivated to sue the school corporation for wasting resources and/or shear stupidity?.....I know I would if I had a kid there.

 

There's got to be more to the story; arresting a kid for a. passing gas, and b. acting like a....well, a kid.....really?

[SageRider]

I don't suppose anyone in the district is motivated to sue the school corporation for wasting resources and/or shear stupidity?.....I know I would if I had a kid there.

 

There's got to be more to the story; arresting a kid for a. passing gas, and b. acting like a....well, a kid.....really?

When one outlaws all means of immediate control, that's about all that's left...

[tallman]

Jerry,

If you had students in the classroom, and your child was continually being disturbed by the other student's behavior, and losing work because computers were turned off, you would maybe feel differently.

Since when is it OK to disrupt a classroom "continually"?

His efforts to get attention and disrupt the classroom worked.

He should suffer the full consequences of his deeds.

This was overt, intentional, ongoing disruption, not an accidental fart after lunch.

The interference with the other students work and computer use is a second, more important issue.

I'm sure he was talked to, warned, notified of consequences, on more than one occasion and he chose to continue the conduct detrimental to the orderly school process.

If his parents want him to do this in school, they had the option, and still do, to withdraw him and homeschool him.

He would then be free to flatulate and ;interfere w/school functions as much as he desired.

All students sign an AUP form, along with the parents.

Authorized Use of the computer and rules for Internet protocol are outlined.

His actions would violate that policy.

The "continual" behavior, regardless of nature, that is a classroom disruption, may result in arrest.

Most likely this individual has had previous interventions.

Suing the School District would be a waste of resources as the behavior is clearly in violation of published and adopted School Board Policies.

All students recieve and sign for these policies at the start of the year.

 

[Jerry_75_Guy]

I don't disagree with the substance of your message at all, in fact, if you reread my post I said that there has to be more to the story than a kid simply passing gas and hitting a couple of switches.

 

When we receive stories like these, we more often than not have the picture painted for us in a manner calculated to cause our bile to rise, and our righteous indignation to flare, while being careful not to give the proper backstory and context: i.e. we're just being 'played' for the purpose of entertainment.

 

That said, I still think the proper course of action would be more along the lines of visits with the principal for the first 1 to three incidents (dependent upon the lights of the school in question), then suspension after the next incident. But (and this is a "big" but since, again, we weren't given any details to provide context in the original story), to arrest the kid?!... really? Wouldn't it have made more sense to suspend him, then expell him as needed?

 

Context aside, something still 'smells' wrong about how this was handled.

[russell_bynum]

Whatever happened to the other kids taking the little prick out behind the school and beating some sense into him?

[eddd]

Whatever happened to the other kids taking the little prick out behind the school and beating some sense into him?

 

A likely senario if that happened...

 

The annoying little prick's mother would be at the main office within the hour demanding that her poor son's attackers be punished for their deeds.

[Shaman97]

Another example of my postulation that teachers don't live in the real world.

[Hermes]

STUART, Fla. -- A student at a Florida school has been arrested after authorities say he was "passing gas" and turned off his classmates' computers.

 

 

I've done better then that, I once (accidentely) flatulated in my garage and thereby turned of the boxer of my beloved R1150RT.

[tallman]

Yep, we don't live in the real world.

I work with "students" like him.

They include students that; took a shotgun to school, took a boxcutter to school, assaulted staff, sold prescription drugs, sold controlled substances, are in transition from DJJ custodial programs where they were for lewd and lascivious on minors, assault/battery gang related disruptions, etc.

I've had two overdoses on campus this year.

I don't know what world you live in, but in the real world of America, today, there are a number of students who are wonderful and want to learn, and there are a small percentage who will do anything to disrupt and interfere with those good kids.

The ones who choose to disrupt, threaten, assault students and staff deserve to be removed from the environment so the others can continue with their educational opportunities.

What would you have the teacher do?

Ask him politely to stop?

Sit down and counsel him?

Send a note home to parental units?

Ignore him?

BTDT.

I choose to work with these students hoping to make a difference, even a small one.

My real world has nearly 6 uninterrupted hours of teaching and supervising from the moment they get off the bus, at lunch, until they get back on the bus.

I'm contracted for 37.5 hours per week and work much more than that, by choice.

By union contract I'm supposed to get a break that isn't an option at our school that totals over 120 hours I work for free.

My daughter works an average of 20 extra hours/week.

Oh, she's apparently not in the real world either.

She teaches fourth grade.

Try volunteering and mentoring, please, so you can show us how it is in the real world.

Thanks.

 

 

[Shaman97]

So, you agree this student should have been arrested, then?

Or as has happened in our school, have a student suspended because he defended himself by striking the student that was punching/bullying him?

Suspending a student for carrying Midol to relieve menstrual cramps.

Teachers that publicly berate a student for his shortcomings on a homework, or test. Try that in the 'real world' and that person will be subject to the same HR rules and regulations as the rest of us. This could be a case of 'hostile work environment' if it were anything other than a school environment.

 

There are always exceptions, like you, that take the time to invest their time so the future for the troubled kids is brighter, or at least closer to being on a level playing field. And I truly thank you for that. Truth is, I think alot of teachers are doing great things for their students. I really do. I think teachers can and do make a difference in young peoples' lives.

 

My beef is with the union that would protect a teacher when she hadn't returned a single item of homework or test papers for an entire semester. Her response: I'll give the student the grade I 'feel' they should receive. No recourse available to the parents, and no action taken by the school for 2 years.

 

I also have a problem with people that enter the profession, then complain of the low wages that it pays. We've heard this rant for years - don't enter a job when you know the pay isn't what you want. Then the complaints begin that the teachers spend countless hours after class correcting papers and grading exams. Don't the colleges that produce teachers tell tem this is required? Of course they do, but the complaints are heard nonetheless.

 

The education system is antiquated, and needs to be revamped. The school day should be 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM for 50 weeks a year. No homework, no extra work after hours at all. Make it just a job like the rest of the working world has. Corporate training classes are conducted this way with great results.

 

The California Teachers Association complains that the state budget is shortchanging the schools, and that the governor is balancing the budget 'on the backs of our children'. Meantime, the CTA is spending millions upon millions in TV, radio and print ads. Is this being done for the benefit of the children? Hardly - like any union, they are doing it for the members of their union members. But that doesn't play well over the air, so let's pull the old 'on the backs of our children' saw.

 

So Tim, I really thank you for your efforts, and I don't expect the system to be perfect. But keeping the status quo is the wrong thing to do.

 

[bakerzdosen]

I miss corporal punishment in schools...

[tallman]

I understand what you are saying, but, none of that has anything to do with a "continually" disruptive student.

Yes, if all other efforts failed, then arrest him.

 

ASFA the state of teaching/unions in California, I would think that the "protection" can work both ways.

Try being accused of inappropriate touching etc., it doesn't matter what the truth is, you're branded and besmirched.

Teachers, Doctors, Lawyers, Police, Civil Servants, et al, have both good and bad representatives.

To single out a particular profession is perhaps missing the problem and painting an inaccurate image.

Take a look at medical malpractice issues, inadequate legal counsel, abuse of authority by LEO's, for example.

The majority are good folks but some, as in all professions are not.

Coming back to the OP.

The Teacher in the classroom most likely exhausted every possible option before this culminated in an arrest.

Some students, regardless of age, are incorrigible. I know that isn't what Dr. B Spock says, but that is reality.

We had a Kindergarten student destroy, literally, a clssroom.

It took numerous adults to "control" him w/out being bitten/scratched/hit/kicked.

Yes, one big adult could have restrained him, but that isn't allowed.

This same child then attacked the principal in his office. The child grabbed every projectile from stapler to pictures, books, etc. and threw them at people and destroyed windows, furnishings, damaged the walls, whilst the school waited for the mommy to come in.

He has attacked 3 staff members this year.

The mommy refuses any testing or special placement opportunity.

The pattern of disruptive behavior has created a situation where the option may no longer be hers.

I've had three moms this year burst into tears saying they could no longer control their 12, 13, 14 year old.

They begged for help from the "system". The "system" is overworked, underfunded, and any "threats" to the kids are empty ones as there is no placement available for them. So they know they can pretty much get away with failing their UA tests, showing positive for drugs/alcohol, violate curfew, and get away with it.

Eventually, it may/will catch up to them but they don't see the world that way, after all, their "just kids", right?

The teenager who was arrested needed, IMO, a wake up call.

I hope he got it.

Thanks for your positive words, we need all the support we can get trying to help bring America, and her children, back on track.

[Agent_Orange]

Why not out-fart the student? Granola and OJ do wonders for my out-put. And for the 'nose', a salsa and egg samich.................

[Kitsap]

I miss corporal punishment in schools...

 

+1 on that.

 

I went to a private school until 5th grade where the yard stick was not just a measuring device and the paddle was on display within the principals office. The rules were clear and so were the consequences for not following them.

[CraigC]

In Arizona, we have a law that allows a teacher to refuse to admit a student for on-going disruptive behaviors; however, procedurally it is difficult to enact. We have another state law that can have a child arrested for threatening an educational institution...not sure that passing gas can be lethal (unless you’re 10ovr).

 

Most likely there is more to the story; regardless, there is nothing wrong with the child experiencing natural consequences for his actions. I ditto tallman’s and eddd’s comments!