Teacher Assaulted a Student with a Pair of Scissors
My question involves education law in the State of: Maryland.
I am having issues with my son's school, where the principal wants to just reprimand my son's teacher by just slapping her on the wrists after assaulting my son with a pair of scissors, holding them to his neck in front of the class, all because the teacher says, my son, (lol, actual quote from the teacher) "shot her daggers with his eyes" in response to her putting him on the spot. Since when is it okay for teachers to threaten their students into submission, and because of a stare?
My son is currently a seventh grader, a National Junior Honors Society applicant, and has achieved Honor Roll not only in the last three quarters, but since he has been in the second grade. In the beginning of the year he was one of this teachers favorite students, she was his homeroom; history and reading teacher. Now all of a sudden since my son has been placed into the advanced class, they no longer interact as frequently, and since, she and my son have been going at it back and forth staring each other down in the hallways between classes (sounds more like two students instead of a teacher and a student, doesn't it), along with putting him out of the class for petty reasons, but to assault my child is taking it to another level.
So of course being the mother that I am, I went tot he school to discuss with the administrators as well as the teacher what exactly went down. I had previously conducted my own investigation the day before and called up a few of my sons classmates to ask them their accounts of what actually happened. Would you believe every last student that I asked told the same story with the only variation being the teacher either held the scissors up under my son's chin or violently waving the scissors in my son's face. According to these students the teacher was neither demonstrating anything nor joking with my son or the class. After the investigation I proceeded to the school to voice my opinion, hear the teacher's version and to see what steps would be taken to show this behavior is not tolerated by the school nor the board through their guidelines.
Not only in this meeting, did the teacher admit to picking up the scissors towards my son, but she actually admitted that it was the wrong thing to do as well as stating that she was not mad at all and that my son has never given her any back talk but that the scissors were right there in front of her and she made a bad decision in picking them up in an attempt to get her point across. There is no way you can tell me she was not angry. I do believe she lost her head for a brief moment and had a lapse in judgment, but that does not excuse her methods of action.
Now back to my question at hand:
I do not feel an apology is suffice in this situation simply because this teacher is suppose to be an educator, leading these students in everything they do while in front of them. A pair of scissors held up to your face/neck/body part by another in anger is an assault no matter how you look at it once its been reported.
This teacher is an otherwise very active and talented teacher within the school system and I by no means want to see her job terminated, I do however feel that she should be sat down for a period of time not to exceed the end of this school year. Let's face it, if the tables were turned and it were my son I was defending for having the scissors, my son would have been kicked out of school, no questions asked, no chance of telling his side of the story except at a hearing to reinstate him.
Needless to say after undergoing all of this, the principal calls me to say that the school has completed its investigation and has now turned it over to the security department to conduct their own investigation and then it will be sent over to the school board and that she could not or would not discuss what happens to the teacher thereafter, and that she as the principal was not the decision maker as to any punishment being placed onto this teacher, Really now?!?!?! It has been my knowledge that Principals do the hiring and firing within their schools, the school board steps in only when there is a dispute between sides. Where is the dispute??? Everyone involved in this situation agrees to my son's allegations.
I am getting very frustrated and do not want to take this situation in the legal direction, but what should be done to prevent this school from doing nothing and sweeping this under the rug???? I do not tolerate threats and neither should my children. Is legal action necessary?
TVMurray
Re: The Next Step/Teacher Assaults Student with a Pair of Scissors
...and the reason you didn't go to the police is...:confused:
Re: Teacher Assaulted a Student with a Pair of Scissors
Agreed.
I would have called the police so fast the teacher's head would have spun.
When you called the police, what did they say?
Re: Teacher Assaulted a Student with a Pair of Scissors
As stated before, the teacher and I had always had a good parent/teacher relationship up until this point and did not want to involve the law in hopes that the school would take this situation as seriously as it is. I did not want to see her fired but do feel that suspension is in order. Now had this of been a random teacher whose character I knew nothing about, yes, I would have been running to the police station as if I had been physically assaulted. I see now that the police will have to me my next step in order to get some type of justice not only for my son but for other students that follow. I do like to get all my facts together before filing reports, the school's conclusion as far as they are concerned ended today and has now been forwarded for further investigation. I would like to see what their findings are and make sure that the information sent is correct and honorable.
Re: Teacher Assaulted a Student with a Pair of Scissors
Would the school have been as forgiving of your son if the situation had been reversed? :confused:
Re: Teacher Assaulted a Student with a Pair of Scissors
I doubt that and it is a shame the school is throwing her under the bus like this but I will be heading to the police station in the morning to officially press charges as well as getting legal consultation.
Thank you all for your responses they have been very helpful.