Video Shows Memphis 7-Year-Old Dragged Off School Bus By His Feet

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Thu Apr 19, 2018, 07:34 AM - Edit history (1)

A Memphis elementary school teacher is under investigation after a child recorded him dragging another child off a school bus by his feet last week.

A representative for Shelby County Schools told local outlet FOX13 that students from Robert R. Church Elementary School had gotten into a fight, and the teacher had boarded the bus to intervene.

But video appears to show a tense situation made worse. Several children cowered in their seats as the unidentified teacher grabbed one student, who thrashed and screamed for his mother while the teacher pulled him down the aisle and off the bus ― mostly while the child was upside-down.

The student was identified by local news as the 7-year-old son of Memphis resident Kimberly Hardin. She shared the footage publicly on her Facebook page on Monday, encouraging others to spread the word.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/video-shows-memphis-7-year-old-dragged-off-school-bus-by-his-feet_us_5ad7b16de4b029ebe020a183

Won't need to tell you the race of the child or the race of the teacher who did this. Should be obvious based on 400 years of past practice. The parents were not contacted and only found out because another child recorded the video.

Updated article - http://wreg.com/2018/04/17/scs-employee-investigated-after-child-dragged-off-bus-by-feet/

SCLC involved.

[raven mad]

1. I'd love to somehow believe this is a physical illness but

we know it's ingrained and THAT is even sicker!

I hope the parent nails the teacher, school, bus driver, bus owners, school district and anyone else she can think of. And I'm thinking good karma at her and the child.

[Docreed2003]

2. Despicable...

No adult, much less a teacher, should be allowed to treat a child in such a way...disturbing and despicable!

[SkyDaddy7]

10. RIGHT!!!!

I just don’t understand people!?! Why couldn’t that teacher just sit down on the bus seat next to that child for a few minutes, act calm & just allow things to deescalate? I guess I’m different & maybe just not a “MAN” but I would get far more satisfaction out of taking 5-10 minutes if necessary & calming everyone down & resolving the problem in a peaceful manner that left the kids with a positive vibe of me...Not one where they hate me or are terrified when they see me. That is NOT RESPECT!!!

Race aside...It is like that teacher suffers from the same thing cops do...Their overwhelming need to be exerting total physical dominance 100% of the time! Then add race into the mix & it just makes an already out of control problem 1000X worse!!!

[oberliner]

3. Is there video of the fight that preceded this?

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Not that has been released from what I know

This recording was done by a child with a phone on the bus so there may be video from the same or other child of any altercation.

[oberliner]

20. Gotcha

Very disturbing.

[BumRushDaShow]

22. I updated the OP with a local news station report

Apparently the school system is trying to determine if the bus had any cameras and/or there is any other video recordings of what happened.

[Demsrule86]

30. My son was beaten badly enough to go to the hospital.

There were cameras. You can bet there were in this bus- if they have not erased them as they did in my case.- I brought charges and got the DA to prosecute the kids as the school did little...the perps were white you see...they were all convicted and tossed off the bus permanently and forbidden to play sports and some other stuff...warned by the judge if I see you again...off to reform school.

[oberliner]

68. Thanks for the update

I'd be curious to know if they do exist and what they show - could make the awful behavior even worse if the fight was no big deal.

[BumRushDaShow]

71. It's interesting too that Memphis

has been taking down its Confederate statues and because of that, just yesterday, the TN state legislature stripped the city of $250,000 in funding.

[oberliner]

72. Yeah - the deep south is sort of a mystery to me

Here's hoping things start to trend in a positive direction.

[BumRushDaShow]

75. It's difficult fighting a couple hundred years of indoctrination

and it won't happen overnight.

[AllyCat]

12. Why do we need that? Are you thinking it would

Corroborate the District’s story?

[oberliner]

19. How do we know there was even a fight?

And fight can mean argument or punches or worse. I would be interested in seeing a video of what the supposed fight was, if such a thing exists.

[tblue37]

39. Some witnesses say the child was not even one of those involved in the fight. Obviously,

this abuse would be absolutely wrong even if he had be fighting, but if the idiot teacher just grabbed a black child to abuse, without bothering even to learn if he was involved in the fight, that would be even more revealing of his racist mindset.

[yardwork]

17. Are you suggesting that there is justification for treating a 7 year old this way?

Dragging a 7 year old off a bus by his feet could cause head injuries.

Also, what are your thoughts on the school not notifying the parents?

[oberliner]

18. Of course not

This is awful in every way. Not notifying the parents is scandalous.

The article mentions that there was a fight prior to this - I was wondering if there was video showing that.

[tblue37]

41. In the first article I read, the mother said he had a concussion and a bruised back. nt

[Demsrule86]

27. It doesn't fucking matter. There is no call to ever treat a child that way. The teacher needs to be

fired and prosecuted. I taught for a number of years in inner city schools...and I can tell you I never behaved in this fashion.

[christx30]

40. My kid is 12. Sometimes he goes into these

terrible fits that require direct intervention. He has to be restrained to prevent him from hurting himself and others. He’s screaming out every kind of hateful, sexist, racist thing you can think of while trying to hurt you. He’s broken my wife’s nose three times. He’s bitten me.
So I grab his arms and pin them to his side and my wife holds onto his legs to prevent him from kicking at us. After one bad fit where my son was threatening to stab my daughter, he spent a week in a mental hospital because my wife did not feel safe with him in the house. I’ve been tempted to call the police.

It all just depends on the kid’s history. Does he do this kind of thing a lot? Does he pick fights with his classmates often? Does he respond when told to stop? Is he a danger to his classmates? Sometimes kids can be horrible little shots you can’t just sit beside them and talk rationally with them. Sometimes they are selfish, destructive little jerks and they need to be controlled, for the good of everyone around them.

[tblue37]

46. Adult mental patients are controlled with the Mandt hold when they get out of

control, not dragged by their feet. If a large male adult teacher pretends can't successfully control a tiny 7-year-old without harming him and dragging him by his feet, then that's because he wants the opportunity to drag him by his feet. It probably made his day.

[christx30]

55. Or maybe he wanted the kid to stop his BS,

so they could all get on with their day. Teacher lost his cool, which can happen to all of us. If I were the parent of the kid, I’d be super apologetic toward the teacher. Might buy him a gift basket. The kid would be grounded for 3 weeks.

[LAS14]

59. It's not even clear to me that the teacher lost his cool.

It all depends on what happened before the video. See post #40 in this thread. My son teaches behaviorly challenged kids in special classrooms. I'm so glad I'm not a teacher today, having to deal with knee jerk self righteousness.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210513581#post40

[keepleft101]

83. I agree with this statement

The teacher actually looked calm. He made a poor judgment for sure. When the kid was holding onto the seat . He should of left his feet go and reached up and grabbed his shoulders again and carried him out.

[Demsrule86]

90. Dragging a kid down a bus aisle and thumping his head on the stairs is not control,

it is abuse. Watch the video. The fight was over when the teacher entered the bus. The teacher escalated the situation and injured a student...fire him

[oberliner]

67. If the fight was simply an argument, that would make this even worse

As opposed to something more violent - which I doubt it was. That's why I'd be interested in seeing video of the so-called fight if it exists.

Regardless of what the nature of the fight was, I agree with you on all points.

[Demsrule86]

91. Did I mention the kid was 7? There are videos everywhere these two are from You Tube

I don't care about the fight...no idea.... doesn't look like any big deal...but those kids on the bus look scared and rightfully so ...this school employee /teacher should be fired immediately and prosecuted.

[Laffy Kat]

4. Poor little boy.

A teacher did this, a person who should be a symbol of trust and safety. I hope the teacher gets loses his job because he's in the wrong profession.

[MoonRiver]

53. Agree, and I hope his next career isn't in law enforcement.

[Scarsdale]

5. The other kids look

terrifed. If someone the size of that teacher can not control little kids, they should seek other employment. Lucky nobody did that to one of my kids when they were that age. Oh, never happen. We are WHITE. Makes me wonder what happens when no cameras are running. Has Secretary of Education, Betsy De Vos seen this?

[Igel]

9. The only other kids I really saw

seemed either curious or amused.

It would help me to understand if I could understand what the one kid was screaming.

(Of course, context would help, too. I've seen videos where I have one reaction seeing the snippet posted, and another seeing the context. What's hard is when the small bit edited for one effect pre-sets my response upon seeing the rest of the video. It's hard to back down from the first judgment.)

[BumRushDaShow]

15. They are 7 year olds

not teenagers or young adults. Keep that in mind.

[Demsrule86]

31. There is no context that justifies this...none.

[LAS14]

60. That's ridiculous. nt

[kcr]

64. No.

Ridiculous is thinking it's perfectly appropriate for any to drag 7 year olds upside down by their feet. In fact, I can't fathom minds that think this way and think that is a big reason the world is such a shitty place.

[MineralMan]

70. No, it's not ridiculous, at all.

There truly are no circumstances where what happened would be appropriate. None.

[LAS14]

73. Apparently your experience...

...with out of control children is limited.

I'm not saying this child was out of control. We just don't know. So enough with the knee-jerk self righteous criticism. Context. Facts. That's what progressives should be about.

[MineralMan]

74. I see. So, how about describing a situation where

dragging a 7-year-old out of a bus by his feet would be appropriate? I'll just wait here...

[LAS14]

76. The child was uncontrollably physically attacking other children and the...

...adult couldn't get a proper grip because of the confined space.

[MineralMan]

78. Nope. The child reportedly was injured in the incident.

Further, there was no indication of any attack on other children. A typical 7-year-old weighs less than 50 lb. You can see the seat, the boy, and the man in that video. There was no need to drag him out by his feet. We can see the space that was available.

Dragging a child by his or her feet is unacceptable in any situation. Period. Injuries are likely anytime that is done. So, your argument fails.

There is no circumstance where that method of removal is appropriate. That child was not in a position to do harm to anyone at that point. He was in the seat alone, and his exit was blocked by the man. He was, apparently, injured by the removal.

Time to rethink. That's what was needed. The kid couldn't go anywhere, so there was no rush to act.

[LAS14]

81. See below

1. We don't know what happened before. Or, we don't know from the video, which is what I'm working from.

2. Being held upside down is not the worst thing that can happen. It doesn't warrant this kind of reaction. We seem to have lost the ability to bring perspective to our judgments.

OK. I'm done.

[BumRushDaShow]

96. "2. Being held upside down is not the worst thing that can happen."

He wasn't just "held upside down". He was dragged out of the seat down the aisle with his heading scraping the floor and bouncing down the steps.

This is what happens when POC don't "comply", not unlike this -

[LAS14]

100. This video is not about the event in the thread. nt

[BumRushDaShow]

108. It is an analogous video of someone being dragged out

and in that case, it was a grown man who suffered injuries when that was done to him, and he wasn't even "upside down" with his head slamming along the aisle and down the steps of a bus.

But I know they have shown that many whites don't think that blacks "feel pain" so this is par for the course.

[ChubbyStar]

132. Okie Dokie we do not know what happened before, so why did you post this

"The child was uncontrollably physically attacking other children." Where did you pull that from? If you are working from the video then you are clearly wrong, the video shows nothing of the sort. Being dragged off a bus by your feet at 7 years old (or any age) is quite harsh, would have preferred the kid to be water boarded or punched in the face? Would that meet your criteria?

[LAS14]

133. I was asked to give an example of when the action on the video would have been appropriate. nt

[NickB79]

131. If a grown man can't throw a bear hug on a 7 yr old

He has no right getting into that situation in the first place.

I've seen 100 lb women deal with bigger, more violent kids than this without giving them concussions.

[Demsrule86]

97. guy gave the kid a concussion and didn't tell the parents...if the child was out of control they

would have...CYA...and there are multiple videos showing the kids cowering in the corner as he is dragged out of his seat screaming. Not only do I want this jerk fired, I want him prosecuted.

[chillfactor]

6. do hope the teacher is fired...

what a despicable behavior by a so-called "teacher"

[Soxfan58]

8. Big man,

Real tough guy. Try dragging someone your own size off the bus you fucking coward.

[avebury]

11. Child was left with bruises and a concussion.

Per the article above: She (the mother) said her son was left with bruises and a concussion from hitting his head.

i would hope that the mother called the police and demanded that charges be filed against the teacher.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. I think the article said that the "authorities" were notified. nt

[avebury]

16. There i a difference between notifying the authorities

and notifying the police and a parent demanding that the assailant (in this case a teacher) be charged with assaulting the child. The article did not clarify if the notification was strictly the school administration or if it also included the police.

She also should be going after the school district for failing to notify her of the incident. If at least one of the kids on the bus had not had the where withal to video the incident there would have been no proof of what happened. Even the mother didn't believe her son until someone else showed her the video.

Although, personally I would think that the bruises and concussion should have been enough to send the mother to the school demanding answers to what happened because there was sure enough physical evidence that something did happen.

[BumRushDaShow]

21. This is just hitting the news

and I only found out about it listening to Joe Madison on SiriusXM this morning, so looked it up. From what I have heard, the mother didn't even know this happened until the video was posted because she said the school only said that her son was "kicked off the bus".

Here is a local news station article with what has happened since -

http://wreg.com/2018/04/17/scs-employee-investigated-after-child-dragged-off-bus-by-feet/

The SCLC is involved now.

[avebury]

25. Color me cynical, I would bet the farm that the school only reported

it to the school district. They certainly did not talk to the child's mother about the incident. If they had talked to the police, the police as a part of their investigation, would have talked to the mother. Had there been no video evidence of the incident there is a good chance that the school would have tried to brush the incident under a rug so to speak.

The mother should definitely be consulting an attorney. If I were her I would be looking for the following at a minimum:
1. That the teacher be fired.
2. There needs to be further consequences to the school employees that failed to notify the mother of the incident. Finding out that one of their students has been injured and then failing to obtain appropriate medical assistance for the child is not acceptable. Failure to determine that the child has a concussion and handling it accordingly could have had more serious consequences. So much for their claim to be concerned about the safety of their students.
3. Monetary settlement. Her child looked pretty traumatized in that video and she might need to get him some counseling. That costs money.

[Demsrule86]

32. They didn't inform her of the incident.

[tblue37]

47. A concussion isn't evident if you're not looking for the signs. Probably she had him

checked after she found out what had happened. The bruises on his back wouldn't show while he was dressed, so if he took a bath without help and changed to pyjamas, she wouldn't see the bruises without checking under his shirt for them. Other bruises could be assumed to be typical effects of exuberant playing.

[AllyCat]

14. OMG I hope she sues them to kingdom come.

Horrible, horrible treatment.

[keepleft101]

23. If I was the parent of this kid

he would be in serious trouble. Not listening to authority. Disrespecting a teacher and not following direction. My guess is this child is one of the kids involved in the fight.

I feel for these teachers today. Put in these difficult situations. Did the teacher handle this completely wrong when the child wouldn't listen. Yea, teacher screwed up big time! They should have removed all the kids off the bus. If the child still wouldn't leave then have school counselor try and get the child off the bus. If that didn't work have the police remove the child.

Now the teacher will be punish for his actions and rightfully so. But it can not be easy teaching in this day & age.

[avebury]

26. I believe that being left with bruises and a concussion is sufficient

punishment for whatever sin he transgressed on the school bus.

[BumRushDaShow]

29. Um. okay

[Demsrule86]

33. I have no sympathy for that teacher and if you can't handle teaching without assaulting kids,

than find a new fucking job...you ever notice we don't see white kids dragged off the bus by their feet?

[BumRushDaShow]

37. Remember

black children are considered "animals" to some whites.

[Demsrule86]

98. Yep, this was a white guy...who showed no concern for this kid at all so you are correct. He was

treated like a dog...no wait I treat my dog better. In one picture he is laying on the ground half in and half out...he looks unconscious.

[BumRushDaShow]

106. Yes you are right.

Most dog owners value their dogs WAY WAY better than these people valued the life of this child.

[Demsrule86]

110. My dogs are spoiled little beasts, but I love them.

three Poms and a Jack Russell ...the Pom taught her to be a Pom...have you ever seen a Jack Russell that acts like a Pom? Pretty funny.

[BumRushDaShow]

114. OMG

Am trying to envision a Jack Russell trying to comply with that tall order!!

[Demsrule86]

117. It is pretty comical I will post video.

[BumRushDaShow]

122. That has to be wild.

Every time I think of Jacks (one of my old co-workers has one) I think of this -

[B2G]

107. Where's that pic?

All I've seen is the video.

[Demsrule86]

109. Update I posted the wrong video...

Last edited Thu Apr 19, 2018, 06:36 PM - Edit history (1)

I can't find the original one. I can't post this but here is the link...it shows a much better view of the situation. The boy is screaming for his Mom and you can hear this...and he had a concussion. Dreadful.


https://www.whio.com/news/national/video-shows-year-old-boy-dragged-off-school-bus-his-feet/ZrpQqajofXpaSbvPlQsrNK/

[B2G]

113. That's not the same incident so I'm confused. Nt

[Demsrule86]

118. Sad that there is more than one but I will check. Maybe grabbed the wrong one.

[B2G]

119. The one you posted is from 2015

On your other thread too.

[MrsCoffee]

51. Thank goodness you arent.

[d_r]

58. If you watch that video

the way that man handled that child was inexcusable.

[Crunchy Frog]

93. Has this become Authoritarian Underground now?

Much of the time I don't even recognize this place anymore.

[Demsrule86]

99. I wonder too.

[smirkymonkey]

116. I know. I can't believe anyone is defending the behavior of the teacher. This

was inexcusable! It was abuse and the teacher should be fired. I hope the boy's family sues him.

[oasis]

24. "Deplorable"

[Sancho]

28. As a veteran educator (and I've driven a school bus too)...

teachers (and employees) are usually taught nowadays to never touch students. There's simply too much litigation. It's too bad, because sometimes a hug or pat on the shoulder is appropriate. This teacher will likely be punished or fired, but who knows?

In some rural districts where I've taught it would not be perceived as badly as you may think. I've also been frustrated by a tantrum or fight with no where to stop the bus or no easy way to get the kids to stop. In some communities, they still paddle kids and parents have no problem with "handling" children. Upper elementary and middle school age are particularly difficult when they get physical.

It's not an excuse for hauling the kid around, but there could be a reason that the teacher lost his cool. We don't know the context - maybe fights on this bus had occurred before, maybe this child had a history, or maybe the bus was holding up the line and cars were backed-up into the road. Believe it or not, some situations allow hands-on, but it's tricky.

In today's schools, it's really hard to deal with a tantrum kid. Why? You can't grab them or hold them down, but they may be doing something that can harm themselves or others. If you call the Resource Officer, you can bet the kid will be handcuffed or taken to the juvenile assessment center no matter how young.

My wife had a large kid this year (5th grade; music class) who was seriously harming another child - and calls to the office were not working. A coach and another teacher had to jump in and risk being sued or fired to physically hold the 150 lb child down. If you don't intervene and someone gets hurt, you get sued anyway.

Dragging the child upside down is not in the teacher's manual, but you have to remember that teaching is not a great profession right now. The pay is bad, and the best college students go into other employment. The number of weak teachers, and under-trained teachers is growing rapidly as my baby-boomer generation retires. There are lots of "alternative teachers" without good training hired to "fill a spot" when there are shortages. For all we know, this teacher just got back from Iraq and is on an emergency certificate? In my view, a lot of the "teacher problems" are being driven by lower standards for becoming a teacher. Again, I'd like to know the context.

With this video going public, the school figure it out.

[Demsrule86]

34. It doesn't matter if there is a reason the 'teacher lost his cool' he assaulted that kid and that

is never acceptable. I an 5 foot 3 and have broken up plenty of fights in my time as a teacher.

[Demsrule86]

35. Also , the fight was not going on anymore and the kids sitting on the seat...he was dragged although

the video shows no imminent danger- by his feed and received a concussion...any otherkids go to the hospital?...and believe me if the camera showed anything that would help this teacher, it would be out.

[Sancho]

44. I agree the teacher should not have dragged the kid off the bus...

I'm just wondering about the context.

We all know the teacher will likely be fired and/or charged.

In my experience (three states, going on 40 years), I wouldn't break up a fight or grab a kid unless it was to protect myself or others. I'm surprised that the teachers are not informed to act that way.

Either this teacher was not following school policy or teacher training, or else he was wearing the label of teacher without the proper background.

[keepleft101]

54. you are actually 100% incorrect

the school would not release the video if the bus was filming. It would be against the law. The kid that was filming the video must have edited the video and cut off the beginning. You can tell the teacher was talking with the child first trying to have the child walk off on his own.

The other thing is the teacher, while showing poor judgment, did not show angry or was not being aggressive with trying to remove the child. He was actually pretty calm. He tried to take the child by the arm but the child pulled away and threw his feet up. Then he tried to carry the kid but the child was grabbing the seat with his hands pulling away and then grabbing the bottom of the seats so he couldn't remove him.

If I was the parent of this child I would be embarrassed. I would be at the school with my kid and I would have him write an apology letter to this teacher. I would have him apologize in person also. Teach the kid to show respect. Use this as a learning tool. Kids make mistakes.

But you know that wont happen. Instead the parent will complain to the school. Maybe sue. The kid will think he was justified in his actions.

[MrsCoffee]

57. Again, thank goodness you arent the parent.

“The kid thinks he was justified in his actions”.

You don’t even know what those actions may have been. You are having some knee jerk authoritarian response to a 7 year old posing no threat to anyone when he was yanked out of that seat and left with bruises and a concussion.

That should embarrass you.

[BumRushDaShow]

61. "The kid that was filming the video must have edited the video"

The "kid" is 7 years old and the child who filmed it is probably around the same age. They are not master "editors". Most are still learning how to read (I think they were 2nd graders).

[keepleft101]

82. ok

I worded that wrong. I mean they didnt show the video from the start. It was only a couple of seconds before he reach to remove the child. When I say edit I mean they are only showing that part of the video. We dont know how long he tried to talk the child of the bus first.

[BumRushDaShow]

86. What?

Repeat after me. CHILD CHILD CHILD CHILD. Not ADULT.

I know that many people think black children are little animals, but maybe take in consideration that they are young human beings.

[gollygee]

87. It doesn't matter

You don't drag a kid off a school by his feet even if he can't be talked off the bus.

[Demsrule86]

111. But they have powers you know....(sarcasm).

[Demsrule86]

101. I saw that part and then the dragging began...I highly doubt a teacher would drag a kid

if he wasn't angry...you shouldn't defend this....it was despicable.. I would never ask my kid to apologize to a man who deliberately injured him. That is not discipline, it is abuse. I would file charges. I had three kids on a bus prosecuted because they sent my son to the hospital in Georgia. They jumped him. The school tried to claim my son provoked it, but he didn't. I had been to school twice about the harassment and surprise they lost the bus video...those kids were found guilty and stopped harassing my son as a result. My son was four years younger as the elementary rode with middle school then...but after what happened they ended that practice. So they were miserable bullies. Never believe any school has your kids' best interest at heart...some do and some don't. You have to be your child's advocate. I also gave the AJC an interview and the next year, we had a new principle who implemented anti-bullying measures.

[DetlefK]

36. Calm down with that outrage. What happened before that video?

I know a teacher and I have heard horror-stories about elementary-school children that clearly have mental issues, that are violent, that scream and make trouble because they want attention, that keep the other children from taking part in the lesson, that are a threat to themselves and to other children.
And teachers are not allowed to touch such children in any way or else they risk losing their job.

What was the fight about?
How did it break out?
How did it end?
Was the boy a threat to himself or others?
Was the boy disturbing other children?
What would have happened if the teacher had not removed the boy?
In what other way could the teacher have removed the boy physically?



What would you have done in that situation? Oh, you can't tell? Maybe because you don't know what the situation even was?

[BumRushDaShow]

38. These are 7 year olds

not teens or grown adults.

I know some people think that 12 year old Tamir Rice had to be a "grown man" because of how he looked and that justified his killing for playing with his sister in the park with a toy gun, but that is part of the problem.

[Tipperary]

43. Now now, how dare you disrupt the narrative?

[LanternWaste]

56. The narrative that children act like children, and in this case so did the adult?

The narrative that children act like children, and in this case so did the adult?

Disrupt, indeed...

[FailureToCommunicate]

45. What are you implying? That there would be some reason that the school kid should be

dragged upside down off the bus by the "teacher"?

I hope that's not what you mean to imply.

[LAS14]

63. Just say it clearly. There ARE times when a child must be physically removed. nt

Last edited Thu Apr 19, 2018, 06:02 PM - Edit history (1)

[Demsrule86]

112. And left with a concussion and bruises...that kid could have died going down those stairs on his

head. That was not removal but assault. And no kid deserves such treatment ever.

[Sancho]

48. Yep, we don't know the story...

Maybe the teacher is a horrible person...and maybe the bus is in the middle of the road blocking traffic and causing a danger while the kid has a tantrum.

I'm still wondering about the teacher's background? When teachers act outlandishly, I check to see how they became a teacher.

[LAS14]

62. Right. Actually, in the classrooms reserved for "behaviorly challenged" kids...

... they ARE allowed to restrain kids physically, including taking them to the ground. They're taught how. If the law actually prevents a teacher from touching a child no matter what their behavior, then we're really in trouble. Context is everything. Too bad we don't have the beginning of the video. But I didn't see the adult hurting the child. Merely removing him. See this post.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210513581#post40

[Sancho]

66. You are correct...I've taught a self-contained class of "emotional" children...

and we were taught when and where to physically hold, restrain, or remove them. Always two adults in the room with that group too.

In some school settings, teachers are told to avoid touching students in almost all cases. What used to be normal teacher-student interaction has become difficult.

Sometimes teachers can be accused of inappropriate touching, and teachers get sued for perceived injuries (including humiliation), or charged with abuse.

[Demsrule86]

126. Special ed is the most litigated part of education. I would seek new jobs or take out insurance.

[Demsrule86]

102. The kid was 7 years old...for God's sake.

I am sure he was" skeery" Black boy( sarcasm)

[FailureToCommunicate]

42. Racist thugs seem to be everywhere in places of authority. Now cell phone video is

bringing a bit of what POC have always had to experience into the light.

On the flip side, sadly, cell phones in the hands of racist ("scared&quot whites seems to be bringing lethal force down disproportionately on POC.

Good thing in this case that some schoolkid filmed the awful encounter. Hope the kid can heal from the trauma...and the mom sues the the teacher for all his worthless ass possesses.

[keepleft101]

49. what are you talking about?

How is he a racist thug? Thats a big jump from a teacher showing poor judgment removing an out of control kid. If the kid was white he would have done the same thing. Bringing race into this is a joke unless you have proof there was racist remarks or the teacher has a history of racist actions.

[FailureToCommunicate]

50. Fine. Just a thug then. In this case you argue this teacher would have dragged a white kid by

the leg off the bus, causing injury. And maybe that would have happened.

I was lumping this thug in with 98% of the examples of unjustified overbearing force used where the victim is a minority and the cop,

teacher, store clerk, whatever, is white.

So, sure, in THIS case maybe the guy isn't racist. He's just a thug. And hopefully soon, a thug with an asault conviction.

[keepleft101]

65. The parent should have the kid apology to the teacher

If you cant see by the video the kid was out of control then you are only seeing what you want. The kid wouldn't leave on his own. The kid pulled away when he tried to escort him by his arm. The kid grabbed the seat when he tried to carry him by his full body (not just his legs)

If that was my kid I would be so embarrassed by how my child acted.

It would be one thing if the teacher was being aggressive and throwing the kid around.

[MrsCoffee]

69. He was aggressive enough to cause multiple bruises and a concussion.

I can't even begin to understand where you are coming from.

[marble falls]

88. How about the teacher sitting down and de-escalating the situation? Calming the child down would ...

been wise.

[radical noodle]

89. Oh FFS

Teachers are not supposed to give students concussions. I might be embarrassed by the actions of my child, but the actions of the teacher are much, much worse as he is an adult who should know better.

BTW, my husband is a retired teacher and my daughter is a special ed teacher so I know the difficulties they face. Neither would resort to this with a little kid like this.

[Demsrule86]

124. It is tough being a teacher...I have never seen any kid treated like this in my years as a teacher.

Now I left the profession in 08 in order to go into business (needed money) so I have no recent experience.

[Crunchy Frog]

94. I sincerely hope that you don't have any kids

And that you never do.

[tonedevil]

115. I share your hope. /nt

[keepleft101]

135. I have 3 kids

I thank you very much.

I also had a older bully start a fight with my kid when he asked this kid to stop picking on a even younger child. Its how I know the school cant release the video if they have one.

I raised a stepson and have an 11th grader & an 7th grader. Too be honest Im a complete push over with the kids.

To question my parenting because I would be embarrassed that my child acted that way with a teacher is confusing.

I have stated several times the teacher was wrong with the way they handled it. Once they grabbed the legs of the child and started dragging him.

That still does not excuse the way the child acted. There is obviously issues with the parenting of that child. That is the parent you should be questioning. Just as much as the teacher.

I have 3 kids and not one of them to this point (knock on wood) have been in trouble once at school. I never received feedback that they were rude or smart with teachers. They have & do all play sports with their schools. All have decent grades ( not the best) but decent grades.

Im completely involved in all of their lives. Coaching their youth teams, doing homework with them, reading them books at night, semi PTO involvement, volunteered at the school ...etc. My 17 year old wrote his hero paper on me when he was in 7th grade and I found out this past weekend that my youngest in 7th grade now is also doing it one me. So even with my laid back parenting style I must be doing something right. I don't want to sound like Im bragging or boasting but it seriously pisses me off someone who doesn't know me because I disagree with them questions my parenting. I always said if there is anything I want on my tombstone is that I was a good parent.

Not even sure why I care what the heck you think. I just don't like your condescending tone

[Demsrule86]

103. I hope so too.

[MrsCoffee]

52. How do you know he would have done the same thing?

Bringing race into this is not a fucking joke. I lived in Memphis for a few years while my kids were in elementary school. If you think racism isn’t an issue in Memphis, especially in the schools, then you have no clue what you are talking about.

I can only imagine how much worse it’s gotten since Trump showed up to embolden racist assholes.

[malaise]

77. Never had to guess the child's color

Sick

[BumRushDaShow]

79. Nope

When I heard Joe Madison mention "where" and what happened, I knew. In fact he even mentioned when he first heard of it and was about to view the video, he implored to himself "Please God don't let that be what I think it is".

[Demsrule86]

104. When was the last (only) time this happened to a white child?

I have never heard of such a case.

[S.E. TN Liberal]

80. Think about this...

This teacher, in addition to getting himself fired, (if there is any justice in Tennessee), also just got a huge lawsuit laid upon his school district.

School districts need to know the kind of people they are hiring.

Taxpayers are going to be paying legal costs for the school plus whatever the settlement becomes.

Every taxpayer ought to realize they are also going to be paying for this kind of behavior.

[BumRushDaShow]

92. Yes

Same situation here in Philly.

The egregious behavior of "public servants" whether cops or in this case, "teachers" means civil lawsuits galore, although probably 90+% are settled before getting to any trial.

But you can imagine what that money payout could have been used for.

[Demsrule86]

123. And schools need money. They should have policies in place to deal with this. I have worked in

closed rooms as a teacher and you are not allowed to injure a child...we had padded rooms for some kids so they wouldn't hurt themselves. You immediately call the parents. And the fact, they did not call the boy's Mom shows they knew what they did was wrong...didn't count on little kids having cell phones I guess. Special ed is the most litigated part of education so those talking about the in my opinion violent methods used in the classrooms are either wrong or heading for a major lawsuit.

[BumRushDaShow]

130. Exactly

When I first got out of college, while I was job-hunting I became a science substitute teacher and was assigned to a school that was all special needs children (and a junior high class to boot).

Being junior high and going through puberty is bad enough. But what I found was that kids sense when you care and respect them and I was able to take a "disruptive" class of children (according to other teachers) and have them not only have fun but learn too by being able to participate in activities like taking care of the class aquarium that had been let to foul, and planting seeds for plants that they could take home (where all the supplies for these types of things were locked up, never used, and gathering dust).

[B2G]

84. I'd like to hear from the bus driver.

Someone, likely her, called out for assistance.

[cbdo2007]

95. School or bus driver should have called police...

And taken all the other kids to a different bus.

The teacher or bus driver shouldn't have to deal with kids who are a physical threat and this kid was putting the other kids in danger.

[Demsrule86]

105. This kid was 7 years old...when was the last time anything like this happened to a white child?

[cbdo2007]

120. I've seen white and black 7 year old boys that we're unrestrainable.

In many cases the police are called and they take care of the situation but teachers and bus drivers should not be put into a situation where they have to figure out how to restrain out of control kids.

[Demsrule86]

121. The kid was screaming for his Mom...and was not out of control sitting on the seat until the

school person came...This happens to Black kids ...I hope the school person is fired and prosecuted. Also, no decent person would consider dragging a kid headfirst and bruising him and bumping his head on the hard floor and stairs...giving the child a concussion ...all the while the kid is calling for his Mom...heartbreaking and horrible...this kid was treated like an animal not a child.

[cbdo2007]

125. Yep I agree, that's why they should have called the police.

[Demsrule86]

127. They should have called his mother and sent him home.

They deliberately didn't call the mother.

[cbdo2007]

129. Lol...right. and I'd his mom dragged him off the bus screaming

Instead, that would have been ok?

Of course not, then you'd be here saying the teachers should be trained to handle these types of situations. I've seen kids his age punch their moms right in the face and left them bleeding...then what?

[Demsrule86]

128. I have to say, calling the cops on a seven year old is so ridiculous. And also this kid is too young

but many schools have a from the classroom to prison program for Black kids...where they press charges for school offences. And based on what I have seen, many Black kids are singled out for discipline ...where other white kids are not...same offences. The school called the kid a liar until the video emerged...and the kid taking he video was suspended hmmmm.

[Sancho]

134. Here's an SRO in school...calling police may help or may make it worse....

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142042921