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I guess I don't see a problem with this. The teacher already sent notes home with his recommendations to parents about how to make sure th kids were ready for the test. I think he definitely overstepped his bounds giving them vitamins. I would be pretty pissed if I found out my kids' teachers gave them vitamins. How would they know I hadn't already done so earlier in the morning?
I just wonder how vitamins are defined as medication. It is possible that a parent or teacher could accidentally give an adult dosage. Would a parent be arrested for it? I'm assuming that a number of parents probably did give their kid/s vitamins as well.
There are all kinds of medical problems that could make taking extra vitamins a problem. Not to mention that you don't always know what's in them. For instance, I'm allergic to dairy and can't have gluten- one or the other is generally in vitamins. However, I learned that the hard way. A teacher is much less likely to check the labels than a parent would.
It is possible that a parent or teacher could accidentally give an adult dosage. Would a parent be arrested for it? I'm assuming that a number of parents probably did give their kid/s vitamins as well.
Parents are well within their rights to give (or not give) their children vitamins, as they are the most aware of the nutritional needs of their children. It's their choice, not a teacher's. I would be livid if that were my child. Many people believe that vitamins are unnecessary and that all of your nutrients should come from food. Other people have allergies, as the other poster mentioned. It was a highly irresponsible act and I'm surprised at the sheer idiocy of the man. For the most part, vitamins are innocuous in relatively small amounts, but there are exceptions. I know iron poisoning is an issue in very small children and I believe some children's vitamins still have that. Anyway, the man was an idiot and deserves to pay for it.
Oh, I don't think it was clear as to why I quoted Brian and hopefully I read his post correctly. The man was arrested for giving the pills and not because he gave an adult dose. I don't think a parent would be arrested for giving a child an adult dosage by mistake. It would somehow have to come to public attention and some harm would have had to occur.
Last edited by fjtee; 05-27-2008 at 10:49 PM..
Reason: clarification
This is what we've come to, unfortunately. In college, we teachers were instructed that our responsibilites towards our students were legally termed in loco parentis, meaning reasonable steps a caring parent would take towards a child. It would seem to me that a vitamin supplement would fit that description.
The reality is that I wouldn't dare give any student so much as an aspirin or a band-aid. Schools and teachers have been successfuly sued for such "extreme actions" that constitute practicing medicine without a license.
In my district, I was carefully cautioned that the only individual in any school who is permitted to take such drastic actions with a student is the school nurse. The same applies to any first aid or life-saving measures. Teachers are to remain strictly hands-off and await a nurse or other medical professional. Under no circumstances are we to render aid to an injured student other than to provide verbal reassurances that "help is on the way." Hopefully, it will be.
I do keep a box of kleenex readily available in my classroom as well as a bottle of hand lotion. I may have to reconsider, though. I'm probably on shaky legal ground there.
Would anyone else be arrested for giving someone an OTC vitamin pill? Parents? Grandparents? Police officers? Army Officers? Attorneys? Judges? College Professors? Congressmen? American idol constestants?
Are crime conditions in NC so good that the police actually consider this a priority that they have to respond to with a squad car and handcuffs?
I do keep a box of kleenex readily available in my classroom as well as a bottle of hand lotion. I may have to reconsider, though. I'm probably on shaky legal ground there.
I agree. I have tissue, lotion and band aids in my classroom that I make available to students. Unfortunately, it looks like I am going to have to take them away, lest I get sued or fired.
I guess the teacher shouldn't have done it, but after subbing at a country school in a low income area, I was tempted to give them out sometimes myself. We colored easter eggs one year with the special ed kids and two of them had never seen an egg. Lord knows they could have used some supplementation. FTR, Vitamin B is really good for waking up your brain, and is water soluble, so if the parents had given some earlier, it wouldn't have hurt anything.
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NC Teacher arrested for giving students vitamins
