Foul-Mouthed Teen May Go to Jail

[baldguy]

WILMINGTON, N.C. - A teenager may go to jail for using foul language with a high school teacher. Glenn Gattis and his parents don't deny that he cursed or has had other disciplinary problems at Ashley High School. But they say the misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct is an overreaction.

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http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041011/ap_on_fe_st/swearing_student_2

[JaySherman]

1. Overreaction??? Understatement.

I don't condone cussing out a teacher, but sending the kid to jail?!

Land of the free my ass!

[Spangle]

4. Pushing Kids over their limits

Our school policy states that the students are not allowed to be "rude" to teachers in any way. Even if teachers "start it."

Schools are getting out of control. But kids have rights too. And if teachers are "pushing" students over the limit, they should also be held accountable. But since we need teachers so bad.....

Students deserive the right to be able to file a complaint about teachers who are also "rude." While the schools might not fire these teachers, it will let them know who needs help in certain areas.

Teachers of the year shouldn't have a whole lot of reports filed against them.

But schools don't do this. They have one policy for Kids and another for the adults. Lets keep in mind that they expect kids to "take" much more then adults do and keep their cool. Kids, who are still learning about life.

So now they are sending a kid to jail at this school. What options do the kids have towards "rude" teachers?

[freestyle]

2. When I called a teacher an asshole, I got detention

I did deserve it, and I'm sorry I insulted assholes. This is ridiculous.

[clonebot]

6. i sold my teacher pot

and got 30 bucks. ironically he was an economics teacher.

[juliagoolia]

3. Bush should step in

He was charged with Dis-orderly conduct and avoided jail by joining up with the Air National Guard. If you look at the papers on the USA today web site it is clear that is what happened .

[underpants]

5. Dammit,How the f**k was he supposed to know that s**t wasn't okay?

:shrug:

[midnight armadillo]

7. The criminalization of childhood is a dangerous trend

This country is so anti-children it's beyond insane. Criminalizing bad school behavior ranks amongst the most toxic and hateful things ever done to the school system.

Children need to be guided towards proper behavior and socialization, not smashed with a hammer if they stray off the approved path. There's something pathological about a system that arrests kids for swearing, expels them for bringing in a butter knife for their lunch, etc.

High schoolers are treated like dangerous time bombs for 4 years and then they graduate, supposedly now adult productive members of society. The disconnect here is obvious. I think the teens should be actively involved in running the school, helping to set and select punishments, student courts, etc. In other words, make the SGA actually govern the school with the administrators.

[Richardo]

8. Good!

I'm tired of smart ass punks. And when did we decide it was OK for kids to cuss out teachers? Isn't a teacher's job tough and underappreciated enough without having to put up with that crap?

Shut up and show a little respect - it wouldn't kill ya. IF you gotta cuss them out, mutter under your breath like a civilized person.

:grr: (Geezer tendencies ascendant this morning.)

[kick-ass-bob]

11. 30 days in jail, though?

c'mon now...

[Mizmoon]

12. No, teachers have EXCELLENT jobs and should be glad

Let's see ... summers off, pensions, union protection, tenure ...

It's your job to deal with young people, some of whom are very angry for reasons beyond your control. Deal with it.

[kick-ass-bob]

13. you're funny.

summers off: without pay, unless they divide their 10 month income into 12 payments.
pensions: yeah, the great ones the states pay. woohoo.
union protection: not everywhere.
tenure: what's that? this ain't college.

Nice. They work 12 hour days for 10 months for substandard pay, and then have to go out and buy their own room supplies, reducing their pay even more. And God forbid something happens to their room (like the rare fires/ water damage, and other disasters) and they have to start all over again without financial help.

You obviously, have never even been in a classroom except as a student.

[Mizmoon]

14. Dream on, it's a great job

and primary and secondary school teachers get tenure in my area.

[Dob Bole]

17. I'd love to make as much money as a teacher...

How far on the left does that put me? I don't even have insurance- teachers do.

[kick-ass-bob]

22. Bought insurance is often better than the stock insurance.

$400 deductible/person. Then the major medical split (whatever that is).
90% of employees never hit the deductible.

[ScreamingMeemie]

19. This post is really too much. My next door neighbor is a middle school

teacher who takes a second job in the summer time to get by. We need to get realistic here. Not everybody lives in "your area". :hi:

[Mizmoon]

26. Well, I know a teacher who just retired

Moved to his summerhouse and sold his condo. Has an IRA plus a pension, plus social security. Was a teacher for 35 years, tenured, and spent his summers exploring Europe.

He doesn't seem to be hurting to me.

[kick-ass-bob]

27. And I saw my 7th grade science teacher working in the

local Food Lion so he could afford to live.
Let's not use anecdotal cases to support an argument.

PS - I can't find anything about average length of employment except for Florida where it is 9 years.

I also see the turnover rate for teachers is about twice that for other govt employees.

[DebinTx]

29. Texas just passed a law

that if a teacher has a spouse that works, they cannot collect social security and their pension even though the spouse has paid in. It's one or the other, not both.
Tenure doesn't exist either.

[Mizmoon]

33. Tenure DOES exist and here's proof

Here's a link from "New York Teacher" in which tenure is discussed.
link

All I can say is that if in your state teachers have to work as Food Lion, you need to start talking to your state legislature. In New York, teaching is an excellent career with (once again) TENURE, pensions, unions, and all kinds of perks.

[ScreamingMeemie]

34. Let's not kid ourselves. I'm sorry. Neighbor has no perks. Except for the

summer vacation when she has to work another job. I don't know where you live, but that sure isn't reality for the majority of America's teachers. My next door neighbor has been working for a year without a contract. And they can only "strike" after school hours. No pass on this one. Sorry

[kick-ass-bob]

20. then why does the average term of a teacher last from 3-5 years?

And not 20-30?

Doesn't sound so great to me...

[Mizmoon]

24. I've never heard that

Got a link?

[Xithras]

25. Agreed, schools are public property

Schools are government facilities and teachers are government employees. If you walked into City Hall or the local police station and started swearing at the employees, you'd be justifiably arrested within minutes. So where did this mindset come from that it's OK to swear in school because they're "just teachers"? Why should teachers be expected to take abuse from people that no other government employees would tolerate? Do you think this kid would get a break at government facilities anywhere else just because he was a kid?

As to those of you who abhor the criminalization of childhood, I say that children should cease to be protected as children when they begin acting like adults. When I was a kid we would have been appalled at the idea of a school having a student arrested, but back then everybody had enough respect to bite their lip and behave themselves in school. Kids today act nothing like kids 20 years ago, and you can't expect them to be treated by the same rules.

[baldguy]

9. When I was in 10th grade, my history teacher saw me drunk in a bar.

But then I saw HIM drunk in a bar too.

Hey, it was St Patty's Day - everyone was drunk!

[Endangered Specie]

10. That'll learn him...

Cmon, I though appropriate punishment for that was, say detention?

[Woody Wood]

15. well

Since he had prior discipline problems, I could see him getting expelled. But jail might be a bit much.

[Blue-Jay]

16. That's a bit overboard.

Whatever happened to the dreaded in-school suspension? You got locked in a room all day with the crazy-assed phys ed teacher who you were afraid just might kick your ass if you acted up. (and THAT was because I called the physics teacher an "idiot" after he insisted that my formulas were incorrect. I was right, BTW)

[Richardo]

18. I'd prefer he be *caned* - but jail's OK I guess....

...snot nosed punk. :)

[Blue-Jay]

21. Let me guess.

Most often-uttered phrase at the Casa Richardo:

"GET OFF MY LAWN!!......damn kids...."

:D

[Richardo]

23. I *said* my geezer tendencies were ascendant today...

...I'm having a lot of trouble squeezing out any tears for this dude.

:D

[Richardo]

28. Rolling Stones: Hey! (hey!) You! (you!) Get offa my lawn!

:D

[RT Atlanta]

30. What a FUCKING joke! (nt)

[Chovexani]

31. If cussing was illegal

I'd be on the Most Wanted list.

[daddybear]

32. Yes indeedy do

Bout time we got back to putting thjese heathen kids back in their place... they did exactly right...HURRAH! A good arse-beating would help in addition to that sentence!

[ismnotwasm]

35. Cuss words are some of my favorite words

But then, I like words of all types. There is nothing like using a well placed cuss word to make your point. Especially if used judiciously and the other person doesn't cuss. The kid probably used half of his entire vocabulary, and that's the sad part. Not the cussing, but the lack of other words to express how you feel. Better than a fist upside the head I suppose. Last I checked, jail was an EXcellent place to improve your cussing skills.