Two time teacher of the year punches student in the face numerous times

[Cinderella]

When is it ok for a teacher to hit a student? You be the judge.

She was arrested on felony child abuse charges and then later released when it was determined she acted in self defense. However, after working at the school for 23 years and winning teacher of the year two times she has not be given her job back.

Article pertaining to incident on growing insolence in our children.

This is a close up of the cell phone video of the confrontation in a package that aired on Fox news.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

I read an article about this, but didn't watch the video. The video can only say so much. It doesn't speak to the history of the student or of the student-teacher relationship. It can't really pick up on the nuances of nonverbal cues.

As a teacher (or former teacher???), I have never been remotely close to physically hitting a student, nor have any of my friends/coworkers. Obviously something snapped, and the teacher felt threatened beyond her professional capabilities. It's a sad situation for sure.

[diggitydot]

I didn't read this article, but I saw reports when it happened. There were students who witnessed the entire altercation who were in a position to see the whole thing and they all independently confirmed that the student was the aggressor and the teacher was defending herself.

[SuzySunshine]

Yep, everything I have heard and read say that this video is only a very small portion of what happened. I don't think she should be charged and I think she should get her job back, last I heard she was still suspended. He is much bigger then she is and its obvious, to me, that she was only trying to defend herself.

[peggyfromwastate]

If she's the aggressor, why is another student pulling the boy back and not restraining the teacher? The student is about 8" taller than she is, towering over her...

High schoolers are not children. These are nearly full grown men and they are very intimidating. Especially with the violence that goes on at school and the disrespect of teachers.

It's too bad she threw a punch... If she had just shoved him to push him out if her space I wonder what would be the furor then.

[ladymoreta]

Oh wow - I agree it definitely looks like self defense. I really hope she gets her job back if she wants it. I don't know that I could go back after something like that.

[madeintaiwan]

Having worked with emotionally disturbed aggressive boys who were bigger than me, I feel for her. I have been attacked many times, but endured extensive training in defense and evasion techniques. I personally think that in this day that ALL teachers should have to undergo some type of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training. I have never had to punch someone because I was able to use the techniques that were taught to me to diffuse the situation. Though if I had exhausted all others options, I am sure that I probably would have.

[PrincessFiona]

Kid deserved to be punched. I'm sorry. He was absolutely threatening her and even from the video alone it appears to be self defense.

I wonder if they are looking at expelling the child. Probably not. In a "blame the parent/teacher" and "protect the child at all costs even if that child is old enough to know better, poorly behaved, and larger than the adult" it is the teacher who will lose her career over this.

The kid? He appears to be one stop before jail. His parents will probably sue the district and win large sums of money for the 'abuse'.

Kris

[houseelf]

Wow. God bless our teachers. This is a good reminder of the crap that they face.

Kids would rat her out if she was abusive to this child or in the past to other children in a New York minute. So unfair that this happened.

[PrincessFiona]

It appeared to me that she was backed up against the door. It's also easy to Monday morning quarterback. With the fear and adrenaline she might not even have realized the door was there until seeing the video later herself.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Pollyanna]

Everything Kris said.

[SuzySunshine]

Yes we are all debating, that is what debating does.

Here is the link to her Today show interview and more information.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/432942...defend-myself/

I still think she had every right to protect herself and should get her job back. This happened almost a week ago, if that student thought he was in the right he and his parents would have made themselves public by now.

[SoonerTexan]

Does the large young man in the video deserve her punches? Well, it appears he does! However, given her position the better option (for her) would have been retreat through that door - and call the police.

That also means she would leave a classroom of unattended students with a kid who is obviously violent

[scrub-jay]

That also means she would leave a classroom of unattended students with a kid who is obviously violent

This was my thought too. She could have faced ramifications from this choice as well, possibly even termination.

[GrayMatterWife]

Kid deserved to be punched. I'm sorry. He was absolutely threatening her and even from the video alone it appears to be self defense.

When I taught high school, I was physically assaulted after school in my classroom by a VERY LARGE male student--who was illegally on campus (after having threatened me and several others, I would note) and evading police. Smashed my head into a doorframe.

More than anything, I'd like to punch the heads of the children's PARENTS. Their lack of good parenting is usually the cause of their delinquent children. The kid who assaulted me (who was later charged in a drive-by shooting, BTW...)...his family was a nightmare. They blames me and the school for the fact their son was arrested.