Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
She should have called the child's parent first. If they then could not afford medical care she could have offered to pay out of pocket. What she did was illegal and that is unfortunate.
......... She was trying to help a student who clearly needed help.
Here's the thing, though. If you want to be a hero and help a kid, you are supposed to use your own money to do it. Not steal the money from someone else
As a teacher I say this superintendent was very inappropriate with her behavior. Honestly, I think she has at minimum an unhealthy attachment to this boy. Who goes to a student's residence to clean a house? Buy him clothes? She's getting sympathy for her actions now because it involved medical care but I think she crossed a line and I wonder what else has gone on behind the scenes.
As an administrator there is protocol with situations like these. She had all the tools to go through the proper channels but chose to insert herself personally. If this was a male superintendent with a female student I wonder if the story would get the same response.
Status:
"I don't understand. But I don't care, so it works out."
(set 5 days ago)
35,620 posts, read 17,953,728 times
Reputation: 50641
Quote:
Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke
Here's the thing, though. If you want to be a hero and help a kid, you are supposed to use your own money to do it. Not steal the money from someone else
She COULDN'T. She had to pretend he's her child, or she couldn't seek medical help for him.
Of course, what she should have done is go through his guardian, but the fact is, she can't take him in for medical care and pay out of pocket - because she needed some way to say he's her dependent.
I'm afraid it's not looking good for Ms. Smitherman.
It turns out Elwood schools all have health clinics with access to doctors, a fact the superintendent surely would have known. The family is demanding to know why the boy wasn't taken to one of those. In addition, the teen's legal guardian as well as local relatives were listed as emergency contacts but never notified.
I'm sorry, guys, but I can't think of any reason for Smitherman's illegal and unethical behavior other than she has an inappropriate relationship with the boy. She had many options for treatment but I believe she chose one that she thought would retain her access to him.
It turns out Elwood schools all have health clinics with access to doctors, a fact the superintendent surely would have known. The family is demanding to know why the boy wasn't taken to one of those.
From the Yahoo article, it sounds like she did originally take him to the health clinic, but was turned away because she wasn't the boy's legal guardian. She then took him elsewhere, where she claimed the boy was her son.
From the Yahoo article, it sounds like she did originally take him to the health clinic, but was turned away because she wasn't the boy's legal guardian.
Actually, it says she took him to “a clinic.” The family says she should have taken him to the school clinic.
The family, according to the link I posted, is evaluating their options. Which is usually code for a lawsuit.
Actually, it says she took him to “a clinic.” The family says she should have taken him to the school clinic.
Yes, but knowing the school district has a clinic, it makes sense that she would take him there first. And it also makes sense thst a Yahoo article wouldn't name the specific clinic, and instead just say that she took him to "a clinic".
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
