Student arrested for assaulting teacher over cell phone (homes, elementary school)

[austin-steve]

Having the cell phone out violated the rules, but to react like that when the teacher tried to take it away ... That justifies a charge of assault, IMO. That was threat and violence.

I'm not a teacher, and have no special training in situations such as this, but I think if I were the teacher I would have stood in front of the student, palm up, and said "hand it over, or you can carry it to the office with a pink slip".

That gives the student the choice of which consequence he wants. I don't think grabbing things works well, whether it's a hat, cell phone, secret note, or whatever.

Steve

[BentBow]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

I'm not a teacher, and have no special training in situations such as this, but I think if I were the teacher I would have stood in front of the student, palm up, and said "hand it over, or you can carry it to the office with a pink slip".

That gives the student the choice of which consequence he wants. I don't think grabbing things works well, whether it's a hat, cell phone, secret note, or whatever.

Steve

I totally agree. She crossed the line, by touching someone elses property, without their permission.

She was on a power trip, as most teachers are these days.

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by BentBow

I totally agree. She crossed the line, by touching someone elses property, without their permission.

She was on a power trip, as most teachers are these days.

It's not HER power trip. She is an employee of the school system, and is managed by and answers to her ADMINISTRATOR. If anyone here is to blame, it's the administration. Teachers aren't policemen, they shouldn't be made to enforce the idiotic rules of the administrators who sit in their offices all day drinking coffee thinking up new responsibilities for teachers.

[AGA]

Originally Posted by BentBow

,1981. Austin High, Vice Principal gets clocked and dropped cold because he grabbed a student by the arm and jerked him around screaming at him. The little guy, clocked him good. The Vice Pricipal deserved it.

Times....they are a changin'!
Things are not like they were 30 years ago (on either side....)!

[loves2read]

some of these comments are just so opinionated and so wrong...
it just proves that most people have only been in a classroom as a student and probably one with an attitude about following discipline or rules that don't fit their own personal criteria
the law is what made the charge a felony--the legislature made it a felony to assault a state employee--technically that is what the teacher is--althought she works for the Lake Travis district as a public school teacher she is a state employee--
if you went postal and did the same thing to someone at the driver's license bureau that would be a felony--
pushing a police officer that is trying to give you a ticket would be a felony---
so it was not the teacher/ISD's idea of revenge or making an example--it is now the law...
can it be reduced--probably--
will it--depends on the student probably--what his past history looks like and his attitude and the school's recommendation

how I wish that all of you could work for even a week in a classroom with "normal" teens AND follow the same rules teachers have to AND accomplish the same goals that are set for them by other people
it would not be enought to just plop down in a classroom and shoot the breeze with students--forget about the rules--and pretend that everyone is on the same wave length...
that is not the situation that teachers are under

so many students are raised to believe that they are above the law--anyone's law--
whether it is their parents' rules which are usually pretty non-existant and never enforced,
society's which they abuse by speeding most of the time and drinking illegally and often using drugs or doing/condoning actions like date rape
or their schools'--which they break by cutting class/school and getting parents to forge excuses, cheating in the classroom, violating policies like using cell phones in class

these are the same people who grow up to be employees who won't be very good workers--they don't hold a schedule very well, don't like to take direction or criticism, can quit at the drop of a hat, who spend lots of time doing email or watching the Internet vs working if given half a chance or spend most of their time walking around being social vs doing their jobs...

face it---would anyone really want that student to either date/marry your daughter and be your son-in-law or be the person you are working beside each day...

many, many students would not really condone what that student did but peer pressure makes it almost impossible for them to say what he did was wrong

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by BentBow

I totally agree. She crossed the line, by touching someone elses property, without their permission.

She was on a power trip, as most teachers are these days.

She had permission. The student knew the rules, he violated them, confiscation of the cell phone was the known consequence. Under those circumstances, by having the cell phone out and open he gave permission for it to be confiscated. It was a foreseeable consequence of his OWN actions, and he needs to learn that HE is responsible for the consequences of his own actions, a concept that a lot of people, teenagers and otherwise, seem to have a really hard time with these days.

Under NO circumstances did he, on the other hand, have "permission" to lay hands on the teacher's person and attempt to cause harm. Now, I'd like to see you justifiably argue that he did.

[texastrigirl]

My sister taught at SW Tx University for many many years and you would not believe the stories of disrespect she could recount over and over as classes started each semester...from cell phones to internet surfing, etc, during class. She was a great prof, highly respected by students, but had to get the rep of a B*&^% from the get go to even get students to pay attention in class. She gave plenty of D's and F's and kept a few kids from graduating on time. They were all warned heavily along the way as to where they stood and what the expectations were...and then ah, dealing with the parents begging to have their kids graduate was oh so fun. Maybe this kid is lucky that he is learning a lesson now. Consequences just continue to carry more weight the older we get. His property or not, the mere fact that his instinct told him to grab the arm of teacher tells me he has boundary, judgment and authority issues that need to be dealt with.

Funny story: I got a call from my son's Kindergarten teacher so that we could discuss the cell phone policy. Apparently my son got his cell phone out during circle time she said and it had to be confiscated. His cell phone? What? I told her surely you must be joking...he doesn't have a cell phone and won't for a very long time. Apparently he had gotten one of our old phones out of the file cabinet that was in a recycle bag. He got busted and had to spend his recesses inside and then got busted again at home for even messing with the cell phone which he was told in no uncertain terms he could not play with as it can still dial 911. The best part was when he got off the bus, not knowing she had called me and said with a big grin "Look what I found in my backpack" pulling out the cell phone like it had magically appeared in his possession. What ensued after that was not pretty and believe me, boundaries were set in stone at that point.

[nomore07]

Seems as though the whole affair was a political PR stunt. You can't seriously believe that worse things are not happening in schools. There should not have been any physical contact from either party - kick the student out of class.

How is it that people have developed such a disturbing obsession with the "right" to break their phones out anywhere, anytime, at all costs? Too bored with their surroundings? Get a life!

On another note... here's what is missing nowadays:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/science/25tier.html

[austin-steve]

The student knew the rules, he violated them, confiscation of the cell phone was the known consequence.

I know. But the manner in which possession of the cell phone is obtained could be handled in different ways, with different outcomes.

I have to confess when I was in high school (1970s) I wore my hat in class too often, knowing it was not allowed, sometimes just forgetting I had it on. But I was a boundary tester and a rule breaker nonetheless. I liked trying to push teacher's buttons.

When the accounting teacher snatched my ball cap off my head one day, from behind and without warning, my instinctual reaction was to stand abruptly and snatch it back, which I did without really thinking first. And I said "don't do that again". Yes, I got in trouble and sent to the office and paddled (instead of 3 day suspension - we always had the choice). I didn't get charged with a felony though, and I straightened up, at least in that class, after that and managed to keep my hat off.

Another teacher meanwhile, in English, would issue a daily reminder if needed, "hats off please", even if only one person was wearing a hat, and I don't remember ever not complying with the request, nor anyone else not complying. This was a veteran teacher, older lady, she never raised her voice or threatened anyone, and she had total command of her classroom, even with the likes of me and others like me.

My point is simply that it's easy to lay 100% of the blame on the recalcitrant student, yet the teacher knew or should have known that there are probably more effective alternative strategies to abruptly snatching something from a student. And I don't think his reaction warrants a felony charge. In-school punishment or suspension would be appropriate, in my opinion.

steve

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

Originally Posted by love roses

Was that in Florida? That's just crazy...It's crazy if it happens anywhere though. I know that in this district they do let kids go to the nurse's office if they are sick and then the school nurse will call the parents. My daughter has to go to the nurse's office more than the average kid (she has asthma and does a daily oxygen number check) and I've heard the school nurse offer to call a kids parents for as minor a thing as a sore throat.

I don't think it's a problem for a kid to carry the phone but for it to be used only in emergencies. I don't understand the need for it to be out during class otherwise.

Yes it was here in my daughters elementary school. She is in middle school now and she is allowed to carry her cell in her pocket but it must be turned off. I have been trying to teach her that she has to speak up for herself AND demand someone listen to her but still she has the cell phone as a back up if she has to call me. Then this school can learn that if they don't do the right thing, I will help them realize it.

I think I am going to go down and get a pass to observe some of the classes so the teachers are aware that I have my eye on them because some of the things I hear, not just from my daughter are just outrageous.