Students charged for taping teacher to chair

[PfcHammer]

http://www.bakersfield.com/24hour/nation/story/1380197p-8620833c.html

Students charged for taping teacher to chair

The Associated Press

Posted: Wednesday May 19th, 2004, 6:03 AM
Last Updated: Wednesday May 19th, 2004, 6:03 AM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Five high school seniors in Missouri have been charged with assault for allegedly trying to tape a teacher to a chair.
The students, all 18 years old, apparently thought it was just a prank, but they now face possible jail time and fines.

The Platte County prosecutor on Tuesday charged Joseph L. Blankenship, Dexter Briscoe, Daniel M. Ikona and Matthew T. Mayfield, all of Kansas City, and Trevor Hachman, of Weatherby Lake, with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor. Each faces up to 15 days in jail and a $300 fine.

"Neither the teacher nor the students were hurt in this incident, but this was more than just a senior prank gone bad," Platt County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd said. "The fact that the students continued joking about the event, even after they were handcuffed and being led to jail, shows a distressing lack of respect for school and police authorities."



"just a prank." where have we heard this before ?

[bleedingheart]

1. this is just disgusting

I wonder how their parents will try and explain this away...

[Bridget Burke]

2. Just like "hazing"

Perhaps a bit humiliating, but not serious. Yes, we've heard this before.

What do we tell the children?

[Sequoia]

11. When I was in 2nd grade our teacher tied a girl to her chair and

taped up a boy's mouth. The principle came in and was shocked and made her undo the kids.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

23. I had a 2nd grade teacher that tied a boy to his seat AND taped his...

...mouth shut. Some of the kids thought it was real funny until the boy started crying later when he wet himself because he couldn't tell the teacher he needed to go. The kids in the class got real quiet at that point and the teacher really scurried around trying to clean things up and keep things quiet.

In those days (1958) they just let the teacher have a little vacation for a couple of days to help them unwind. She should have been fired, IMHO. That woman had no business being in a class full of young children that she couldn't handle.

These days, the teacher would have been fired and probably faced legal/civil charges.

[section321]

17. I was thinking the same thing...

"Hey, we saw the pictures on TV and Rush said it was no big deal. Why are you discriminating against us. We have rights and freedom and we want to tie the teacher up."

Man this sucks.

[demdave]

3. TORTURE!!!! AHHHHH

How can they only face up to 15 days in jail and a $300 fine for what is obvious torture???

[denverbill]

5. Yeah, like anal rape is frat hazing.

Or killing five POW's isn't torture.

[Oreegone]

19. Yeah right

What Fraternity did these people join?

[bobbyboucher]

30. You're so thinly veiled it's pathetic.

Patiently waiting for your next bucket of water.

[iconoclastic cat]

4. I'm not sure what I think about this one

There has to be more to this story, especially if a prosecutor got involved.

[jdsmith]

9. "More to this story"??

These goons rendered another person completely helpless and then thought it was a joke. That's story enough.

[iconoclastic cat]

35. True, but I wonder if it was more malicious than this article sounds

The tone of the writer appears to be that this was just a joke gone wrong. I wonder if this was part of a pattern of harassment of this teacher. The way it's written comes of as if the teacher was overreacting.

[jdsmith]

36. "a pattern of harrassment to this teacher"???

"Overreacting" to a "pattern of harrassment"?

[DrDan]

6. Park Hill High School

I taught for a year there - Mathematics

one year was enough - I was happy to leave

[Radical Activist]

7. It sends a mixed message

when schools allow that sort of behavior against other students, but then it only becomes a problem when they do it to a teacher. If they felt doing this to a teacher was just a big joke you can bet they've done worse things more than once to other students and probably got away with little or no punishment. This is what happens when schools turn a blind eye to bullying. If you don't demand that students respect other students then they won't learn to respect anyone at all.

[goddess40]

13. Bullying is encouraged,not just tolerated

except when the bullies cross the line to an adult then all of a sudden it is serious. Just think if they were willing to do this to an adult what have they done to their 'peers'?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

24. The REAL problem with discipline in schools is that the minute a...

...teacher starts to hand out real punishment, the parents step in and scream bloody murder. Teachers and school administrators are basically afraid to do anything today in regards to discipline.

When I went to school and got in trouble, I knew that I could also count on facing the music at home, too. It also didn't help that both of my parents were teachers.

[goddess40]

34. Are you talking about physical abuse?

There are great bully programs out there - even Dr Phil has an exceptional one.

NO ONE EVER NEEDS TO HIT A KID - EVER!!!!

[Bandit]

8. I think it is funny as hell

Sorry folks but I think there either is a lot more to this that we don't know or a teacher with absolutely no sense of humor. This is just a prank and no one was even close to being hurt and I'm sure the kids will be hailed as heroes. Maybe the teacher will learn something. Evidently the teacher didn't communicate all that well with students for them to want to do that.

[jdsmith]

10. Egad

[truthspeaker]

12. tying someone up is not a prank

Stealing a teacher's chair is a prank. Toilet-papering a house is a prank. Taking the principal's car apart and rebuilding it on the roof is a prank. Physical assault is not a prank.

[goddess40]

14. If only teachers understood that about kid on kid bullying

and administrators, parents, staff...
I'm so sick of my kids being bullied that I might tie someone to a chair!

[Cocoa]

15. I think it's sad as hell

you and these kids have a stupid sense of humor.

[DulceDecorum]

26. Funny as hell, huh?

Perhaps the police can give the students the "Louima treatment"
while they are in custody.
One good "prank" deserves another....

Hahahahahaha
Real funny isn't it?

[SemperEadem]

29. so, you wouldn't mind them doing that to your 12 yr old daughter, then..

if it's harmless, you just tell her to shut up and go do the dishes?

It's assault, even if the victim isn't related to you.

[LeighAnn]

31. That's my Alma Mater!

I have to admit, when I first read this in the paper this morning, my first thought was, "I hope it was Old-Man Allen!"

My bad

[1monster]

33. Bull! I suggest you find out what the requirements are to be a substitute

teacher in your area and spend just a couple of days in the classroom and then let's hear what you think. (I think it should be mandatory for all parents to spend a day in the schools to see just what does go on.) You obviously don't know diddlely about what goes on in the schools today. Even in elementary school.

Attempting to tie a teacher to his/her chair is not a prank or a joke. And blaming the teacher because you speculate that she "didn't communicate all that well with the students" is pure bunk. Perhaps she communicated very well and they didn't like what she had to say...

[loudsue]

16. Think of the message the RIGHT WING MEDIA is giving kids w/ Abu Gahrib

The right wing pundits are telling kids that torturous acts are "pranks", and EXCUSING such behavior off-hand. THEY are teaching our kids about acceptable behavior.

Bringing back the Fairness Doctrine is MORE than about politics. It's about NOT teaching our young people that hate, torture, killing, war, bombing and bullying is ACCEPTABLE -- when it's the stronger person doing it! It's being equated with being "American".

It's got to stop.

:kick::kick::kick:

[calimary]

18. Unfortunately yes. It's not like these kids don't have a template.

If it were me heading for the White House in January, the first executive order I'd sign (in fact I'd write it up, myself) would be to reinstitute the FAIRNESS DOCTRINE. Dear GOD do we need it!!!!

[loudsue]

22. If Kerry wins, I hope the VERY FIRST THING he does is

restructure the FCC, and start SCREAMING about re-regulating the media; tv, radio, and newspapers.

Damnit, those tv & radio airwaves belong TO ALL THE PEOPLE, not just the republican brand of people. And their licenses should be dependent upon their SERVICE to the people. Entertainment, sure, but also INFORMATION.... and not some psyops right wing propaganda machine.

Newspapers are a little different, because anybody can put together a printing press and a team of journalists, and compete in any market. But newspapers shouldn't be owned by -- and shouldn't also own -- the radio and tv stations in the same market.

Diversity should be the LAW when it comes to organizations that can spread propaganda instead of news. The ABILITY to spread propaganda should be the benchmark for regulation.

:kick:

[damnraddem]

20. Hey, kids, you need to use the proper product:

toilet paper is more appropriate for your 'pranks.'

[BiggJawn]

21. It's Rumsfeld's fault.

Hey, if an increase in teens making "mouth music" is Bill Clinton's fault.....

[mouse7]

25. Hmmm... wonder what they would think now of the car we welded to flagpole?

A certain very unpopular staffer left their car in the high school parking lot after it broke down Friday afternoon. They came back Monday to find it welded to the flagpole in front of the school.

:evilgrin:

There was a "prankwar" going on at the time. The rival high school had managed to get a staffer's VW bug into their weight room and then turned it sideways, making driving it out an impossibility.

[DoNotRefill]

27. There's a fine line...

between high-spirited high-school hijinks and a felony.

[0007]

28. Many pranks ideas come from parents who think its funny to

disgrace a teacher or the system.

[Cronus Protagonist]

32. Apparently they didn't have the right tools

...they should have checked the broom closet.