"School resource officer" uses Taser on parent who does not "calm down"

[Bluebear]

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- A school resource officer used a taser to subdue and arrest a parent at Ed White High School.

Principal Jim Clark says school leaders were meeting to discuss what to do with seven young men who had been in a fight in the cafeteria.

The parents were called to the school.

Police say one father became very aggressive, saying he wanted to take his son home.

Clark says the father was adamant that the school wasn't going to take his son to jail.

The school resource officer tased the man in the school office.

Police say the father was warned several times to calm down.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=97742

[Guaranteed]

1. Hey man- he was ADAMANT!

Such strong feelings must not be tolerated.

[Dr. Strange]

60. In that case, he deserved it...

Although I did like a couple of his songs.

:blush:

[Truthiness Inspector]

2. The father should have been allowed to be belligerent

with no repurcussions. In fact, all law enforcement officers should let individuals who are upset that the law applies to them lash out at the officer enforcing the law and others.

[blonndee]

6. "Belligerent" is against the law? To what extent? Under what codes?

Must it manifest itself physically? Or should simply "upset" individuals also be subjected to tasing, according to the law?

[Truthiness Inspector]

8. Failure to obey the order of a police officer

that is against the law. You may not like it, but that is the law and it is a good law.

[uppityperson]

9. Talking to a cop, then pulling kid behind you when threatened, that is

against the law? At what point does the talking stop and the failure to obey start?

[Truthiness Inspector]

10. Look

Neither of us has the full story here. From the article it appears that the father became belligerent and attempted to obstruct the officer in the course of his/her duty. That is against the law.

It also sounds like failure to obey the orders of a peace officer will be in the mix. Also against the law.

It doesn't sound like a dumbed-down "just talking to a cop."

[uppityperson]

29. more in reply #4 and you are right. I think you assume too much since you don't have full info

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2472404&mesg_id=2472429
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=97861

..."You can release him (son) to me," Smith recalled to First Coast News. Then Smith says the officer, "grabbed his taser, pulled his taser and threatened to tase me. He grabbed my boy's arm. I grabbed my boy's arm and pulled him behind me. That's when he opened fire with a taser."

JSO spokesman Ken Jefferson says the situation involved an officer attempting to gain control.

"This person made it clear that he was not going to cooperate," Jefferson said.

Smith entered a plea of no contest to the charge. In exchange for six months probation he must promise not to return to the Ed White High campus. Smith must also write letters of apology to the school's principal and the officers.

[nebenaube]

14. since when are we slaves? n/t

[Truthiness Inspector]

16. Slaves?

You aren't really going there are you?

[Squatch]

88. Not when such an order, in and of itself, is illegal.

[uppityperson]

7. You assume too much.

Pulling your kid behind you is lashing out? Aren't police supposed to be trained indealing with people?

[Truthiness Inspector]

11. Yes that is against the law

Obstructing an officer in the course of his/her duties. FYI: Police officers are NOT trained to be bullshitted. This is bullshit, from what I've read in this limited article.

[blonndee]

17. Bullshitting is a crime now? You are REALLY reaching at this point. n/t

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[blonndee]

26. This is the same inane kind of "argument" you offered about

a year and a half ago on another subject. Illogical, disjointed, and, honestly, stupid. You HAVE no argument and you quite clearly have no FACTS or reasoning behind your reactionary and ill-informed opinions. Quite sad, really. You actually think people might think you have a point. :rofl:

[Truthiness Inspector]

28. LOL

My opinion does not matter. The laws do, and if you familiarize yourself with them it would behoove you for the sake of sounding intelligent.

[blonndee]

30. hee hee!

[Zodiak]

87. Spoken like a true authoritarian

[uppityperson]

91. Is that what you call it?

You are so polite.

[Occulus]

94. He's done this numerous times, actually.

He's convinced that there's always two sides to every story, like a lot of severely deluded people on this board.

I just went back and looked at some of his "thoughts" downthread. Authoritarian to the max, is our T.I....

[uppityperson]

39. You assume too much from a limited article.

Perhaps it would be good to maintain some open mindedness until you find out more. Did you see the article I posted in reply #4?

[OzarkDem]

67. Teachers are ignorant, petty dictators

Their my way or the highway attitude escalates situations that would be harmless in any other environment. Adding a policeman to the equation is begging for trouble.

We're finishing up the last year of having two kids go through a shitty, expensive school system filled with ignorant, bigoted, O'Leilly loving, lazy, bullies for teachers. If I had known now what I did at the beginning, I would have home schooled them.

As info, son number one got out of HS with a 2.0 and promptly began getting a 4.0 in college. Son #2 will probably do the same.

Ohio's education system sucks, one of the main reasons no one will move here.

[uppityperson]

90. Teachers CAN be ignorant petty dictators

The system can easily work to break down those who aren't also. They system needs big help. NCLB? Bah, made things worse.

[havocmom]

3. Sounds like the father was onto something, wanting to get his kid outta there

This shit is getting ridiculous. Citizens need defense from cops and security guards.

[uppityperson]

4. He must apologize also. More info from another story..what he says he did...

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=97861

..."You can release him (son) to me," Smith recalled to First Coast News. Then Smith says the officer, "grabbed his taser, pulled his taser and threatened to tase me. He grabbed my boy's arm. I grabbed my boy's arm and pulled him behind me. That's when he opened fire with a taser."

JSO spokesman Ken Jefferson says the situation involved an officer attempting to gain control.

"This person made it clear that he was not going to cooperate," Jefferson said.

Smith entered a plea of no contest to the charge. In exchange for six months probation he must promise not to return to the Ed White High campus. Smith must also write letters of apology to the school's principal and the officers.

[AX10]

5. From my experience with the public schools.

the resource officer should have been hung. They are as worthless as you can get.
I don't care for the administrators either. I am glad I got out of school when I did.
I remember now why I don't have kids. I don't want to deal with the lousy school systems.

[kurth]

92. School cops are police academy flunkies

just like most security guards. Hence the need to compensate.

[comradebillyboy]

12. As a teacher, there are some parents I would

like to taser. The parents are usually a bigger pain than the students. My worst students often have really messed up parents and I am constantly amazed at how many good kids overcome shitty parents.

[Bluebear]

13. Still, we do not tase human beings for being "shitty". nt

[comradebillyboy]

44. Beats shooting them, I suppose

besides I said I would like to not that I would, but I know better than to act on my fantasies.

[NashVegas]

58. Well Hold It

Let's say it was a gun, not a taser.

The father is not cooperating with the cop ("resource officer?" Sounds like a rent-a-cop) but is obviously not a physical threat. The appropriate response is:

a. shoot the guy
b. inform the guy he is under arrest and make the bust
c. let them go and then go get a warrant for arrest

Either way, two of the above are appropriate responses.

[knitter4democracy]

71. You do know what that word means to teachers, right?

We have code words. "Interesting" usually means problem kid. Problem kids verbally and sometimes physically assault teachers. "Shitty" is at least verbal assault.

I had a mom my last year of teaching who called me up late one night to scream at me about her son's B on a big project that he'd slacked off on. She called me racist and all sorts of nastiness. To another teacher, she backed her up against a wall and threatened to break her arms if she gave her son anything other than an A. She actually made the football coach cry with the crap she said to him (one of the best coaches in high school football, too, and I'm serious about that--that peon prick of a kid didn't appreciate how good he had it). The principal then told all of us that, when that parent came in the school, she'd start a lock-down procedure for the teachers so that she couldn't talk to any of us and only to the principal. We were ordered to lock our doors and turn the lights off when a particular statement was read over the PA.

This was at a college-prep Catholic high school. At a public school, I had a kid throw a desk at me (little 8th grader, so he didn't get me). At the first school, I had a kid get in my face (about 5" away from my nose) and scream at me so that his spit got on my face when I was 7 months preggers because he didn't get an A on his paper. I'll never forget the crazy look in his eye, and I seriously considered calling the cops on him, but instead, I gave him a detention, sent him to the office, and called his mom who told me I deserved it.

Parents have attacked teachers. In some public schools, teachers get physically assaulted every year. I knew one who was lucky the knife didn't do more permanent damage to his arm, and he ended up having to take time off work to testify against his own student. I taught with his wife, and she was mad as heck about the whole thing.

When a teacher says shitty, they mean that the person is combative and assaults and batters people. I think tasering goes too far (calling the cops would be good enough for me), but I'm just sayin', know what we're talking about before you condemn us.

[Bluebear]

72. I used to teach

Just so ya know :)

[knitter4democracy]

74. I didn't know. What did you teach and where?

My mom retired just a couple years ago after 33 years of high school art. I only taught three years and left to stay home with our kids. Mom said that the last ten years of her tenure were the worst by far. She taught through some rough times, but she said that things got abysmally worse in her last ten years.

[Bluebear]

81. --->

High school music back in Michigan. When I started, if a kid wasn't doing their homework, I would call the parent and the kid would be in trouble.

That morphed into excuse after excuse made by the PARENT for the student. Depressing :(

[knitter4democracy]

83. I'd forgotten that. I'm sorry.

I have trouble keeping track of everyone here. :hug:

Heck, I had a student whose mom wrote her papers. She'd type them, and when I made the student show drafts, there would be handwriting that wasn't hers on there. I had to sit her down and explain that I'd fail her if I found any more of her mother's handwriting on her rough drafts and that I expected to see handwriting. At first, she tried to deny that it was her mom's, but I had a sample of her writing right there. She came around and eventually wrote a halfway decent essay by the end of the quarter (4 by 4 block system). Sheesh!

[uppityperson]

85. I have an ex who would do that for Jr. Jr refused to use them

ex got really upset. Shitty parent.

[knitter4democracy]

105. Good for Jr!

I'm always happy to hear that there are kids out there standing up for themselves and doing what's right.

I had a student once who worked her butt off on a research paper for my class. I mean, did quality, college-level work. Awesome paper. Anyway, she came up to me at graduation and looked upset. She asked me to talk to her mom (a former AP English teacher) about her paper. I told her I'd be honored to, and that's when she said that her mom was telling her that it was a crappy paper. I marched over to that mom, and, as sweetly as I could, I told her and the family present how much I loved having her daughter in class, how wonderful her paper was, and how excited I was for her future. In front of grandparents and friends, that mom told me that she wasn't even sure her daughter wrote it if it was so good and that what she read had been crap. Her daughter protested that she'd read only a draft that she'd gone on to re-write and fix, and I told her that she might want to read the final draft, that it was her work (I'd seen all the drafts and seen how it had grown and changed), and that she should be proud of her daughter.

When I saw her the next fall at an alum reception, my student was dropping out of the university already, convinced of her failure. If only I'd been able to get to her better somehow. :(

[uppityperson]

84. I don't think these code words are universal to all, think you overstate

"When a teacher says shitty, they mean that the person is combative and assaults and batters people." Sorry, but I have heard friends who are teachers talk about shitty parents and to them it means they do a bad job parenting, not combative and assaultive.

And OF COURSE if someone is combative and assaultive they need different handling than someone who is verbal.

[knitter4democracy]

102. True. It depends on the school culture the teacher works in.

In the schools where I taught, teachers reserved that word for combative parents. If someone was a bad parent, however that was defined in the moment, they were usually just called a bad parent.

[blonndee]

20. Me too, but TASING? That's some pretty messed up thinking,

IMO. I don't have the whole story here, but if "not calming down" is all there is to it, what possible justification could there be for tasing a parent? Jesus CHRIST! I can't believe how many people here in the U.S. would so willingly put on a goddamned brown shirt.

[uppityperson]

31. You want to tase a "shitty parent"?

That is not the way to make a parent better.

[OzarkDem]

64. Also a sign of a "shitty" teacher

n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

38. I am a teacher too and I hear ya

But I can't justify tasering them. Nice fantasy but I don't want to see it become a habit.

[OzarkDem]

63. As a parent, there are plenty of teachers I'd like to fire

Most of them couldn't survive if they had to work in the real world, instead of spending their day bullying kids who have to do everything they say.

[Ishoutandscream2]

79. Amen. I have had to deal with crazy, violent parents

Get rid of the parents, and I think our profession would be a lot easier.

[NorthernSpy]

95. your attitude is why I support charter schools and homeschooling...

I support these things BECAUSE they help to undermine and defund the public schools as we know them. When an institution grows that arrogant and that harmful to the people it was supposed to serve, then it's time to kill it off and change the rules.

[Ishoutandscream2]

98. I tell you what, when you are cussed and threatened with

bodily harm, then come talk to me. We are there to serve, not to be abused. And I can see by your irrational attitude that you are totally committed to this type of insanity. There is nothing that we can do in our profession to please people like you, so by all means take your beaten path. We have enough problems that we have to deal with in our profession.

[mitchum]

100. Your attitude is why I support your going to hell

[Ishoutandscream2]

101. It's insane, isn't it?

What we do to try and help people, and this is the kind of crap we get. I am really amazed at this type of attitude on DU against educators.

[mitchum]

103. The bright side is that at least public school teachers don't...

have to deal with that ass as a parent.
That poster's admission was an astonishing thing to see on a Democratic board

[Ishoutandscream2]

104. God bless you

Or the FSM, or if you don't have a deity, well...

Thank you so much for giving me hope for DU.

[uppityperson]

108. Oh quit it. "When an institution " is not the same as being against educators.

I support good teachers, good principals, good school boards, but the educational system, like the health care system, as institutions, have some severe problems. I took the poster you call insane to be complaining about the bigger institution, the bigger system. I took Jr out for a yr because was having problems that the school system was not able to deal with because funds were being cut, class loads increased, "extras" like library cut, teachers getting more overworked and over loaded trying to keep up with teaching how to pass those damn NCLB tests rather than being able to actually teach. Now, if you reply with a snarky comment about how I'm against educators, I'll know you didn't read this.

[Ishoutandscream2]

109. Uppity, wasn't replying to you

And I think you need to re-read what that person said. He/she seems to have some real personal issues with educators, and those are the type that seem to have find perverse pleasure in raising hell. And, I have seen comments about teachers being "dictators" so please don't tell me that attitude isn't here at DU. But I do appreciate that you came to the defense of that ridiculous statement.

[uppityperson]

110. I know, just am tired of snarking and happy holidays.

no, not tired of happy holidays. let me try again. Am tired of the snarking back and forth and missing my kid so being an uppityparent (you kids settle down now). Some people do have issues with educators in general, just didn't see that in that post, but don't know the poster so it could be.

I don't like it when broad brush statements are applied to any group, whether color, creed, sex, sexual identity, age, education, financial status, occupation, hobby, reproductive status, etc etc etc. All teachers aren't dictators, but some are. All mothers aren't nuturers, but some are. All fundamentals...........perhaps I should stop.

Peace and happy holidays.

[sakabatou]

15. TAZER: The tool you use for any occasion

whether you need to or not!

[Truthiness Inspector]

19. Cute graphic/message but unfounded

Are you at all interested in the truth? Use of a TASER is above pepper spray but less than using an impact weapon. When will uninformed individuals realize that use of a TASER is LESS force than other weapons available to officers? Probably never.

The only question is, are you hopeless or are you OPEN-MINDED to actually learning about what the F you are talking about?

[blonndee]

21. Oh, please. You don't even know what the "truth" is yet. n/t

[Truthiness Inspector]

22. I know what the laws are

I'm sorry that upsets you, but that doesn't change reality.

[blonndee]

24. And you continue to make a fool out of yourself by not being able to discuss the issue at hand. n/t

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bluebear]

70. What else is new?

[uppityperson]

33. Reality is you don't reply to what a poster says.

Oh, please. You don't even know what the "truth" is yet.
(your anwer: I know what the laws are)

Are you at all interested in the truth? What happened? What is the truth of what happened? Not just "I know the law", but what happened, was the law broken? How do you know? Are you at all interested in the truth?

[Truthiness Inspector]

40. Are we crossing wires here?

I've read many of your posts which in my opinion make sense (not on this topic but around DU). I am not seeing your point of contention with what I've said tonight.

[uppityperson]

42. No. You are assuming too much and insulting too much.

You do not know what happened except, as you said, from a limited article. People are pointing this out and you continue to reply you know what the law is. Perhaps you do know what the law says, but you do not know wtf happened here except from 1 short limited article. So, here are a couple questions.

Do you believe that every time a taser has been used it was used properly? Do you believe every time a taser has been used it was necessary? Do you know "the truth" of what happened in this incident? How?

Now, about your comments to other posters:
"You are also an idiot."
"it would behoove you for the sake of sounding intelligent."
"The only question is, are you hopeless or are you OPEN-MINDED to actually learning about what the F you are talking about?"
"I don't often ask this, but are you insane?"

My point of contention is you don't know what happened, you assume too much, you don't answer but attack, you are posting nasty stuff.

Clear enough?

[Truth2Tell]

35. I hope you're not in law enforcement

and never will be.

[Truthiness Inspector]

37. Why? n/t

[Truth2Tell]

41. You seem inclined to support the hair-trigger use of force

I don't think we need any more of that. Force should be reserved for instances where an officer or another person is at risk of injury or death. Simply "controlling" an emotionally charged situation is not sufficient cause - especially for the use of potentially fatal force like the taser.

edit to add: that was my "polite" answer.

[Name removed]

43. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TheWatcher]

56. Because you aren't fit for it.

Well, the way this country is sliding into a Fascist Police State, maybe you are.

Shine up your Jack Boots, Adolf.

[readmoreoften]

96. Completely unfit. Hard to believe, really. /nt

[nebenaube]

23. what I know is

that taser's can indeed kill. They can also trigger gran-mal seizures. I supposed you would support continued tasing just because the subject kept flopping. Piss off... Parents have a right to protest and if the school "authorities" want to escalate let them take it to court.

[AX10]

34. From my experience with the schools,

YES! I have very little respect for the secondary education system in this country.

[sakabatou]

27. Should've put a sarcasm tag on my post...

[uppityperson]

36. Use of words is LESS force that tasers or guns. May take longer but

Often it is more appropriate. Do you believe that every time a taser has been used it was used properly? Do you believe every time a taser has been used it was necessary? Are you hopeless or are you OPEN-MINDED to actually learning about what the F you are talking about?

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[uppityperson]

48. Do you just like to insult, or do you really not understand?

Let me try it again. Read these words. Use of words is LESS force that tasers or guns. May take longer but often it is more appropriate.

Why do you get off on insulting and attacking me for something I didn't write? Read those words again. Use of words is LESS force that tasers or guns. May take longer but often it is more appropriate. Do you notice what they say? Did you read this word often? Where do I write using words against a combative subject? Why do you continue to insult? Is that really all you can do? Attack for what is not said, insultingly?

You do not know what happened except, as you said, from a limited article. People are pointing this out and you continue to reply you know what the law is. Perhaps you do know what the law says, but you do not know wtf happened here except from 1 short limited article. So, here are a couple questions.

Do you believe that every time a taser has been used it was used properly? Do you believe every time a taser has been used it was necessary? Do you know "the truth" of what happened in this incident? How? Do you believe the most force possible should be used at all times, or that a situation should start with minimal force and increase as necessary?

Childish insults are a fools way of discussing.

[Truthiness Inspector]

49. You know better

Despite lack of experience, you know better than most LEOs.

You have no clue whatsoever, but plod onward if that suits you. You know what? It's okay to not know everything. And you know NOTHING about law enforcement. Scary.

I don't know what you do for a living, but I do know you have no experience in law enforcement. In other words, those of us whose job it is to deal with comabative/violent subjects don't need unqualified but loud idiots telling us what to do when they've never been there and never will (not able).

[Ignis]

50. Any particular reason you're so loose with the insults?

A badge doesn't give you the right to insult other DUers -- and brow-beating and name-calling aren't going to convince anyone that your (violent) approach to keeping the peace is the right one or the only one.

But hey, just shout louder and call everyone an idiot if it gives you a thrill, I guess. :shrug:


PS: I've done a couple of ride-alongs in Los Angeles, before you accuse me of ignorance. This was still a situation where the escalation to force was way too quick...from the available reports, yadda yadda.

[uppityperson]

51. Still no answers, just accusations and insults. sad.

Proving the point that some law enforcement officers (if you are one) have poor communication skills.

[TheWatcher]

57. "I do know you have no experience in law enforcement."

I highly doubt you do either.

Can I see some ID Captain Friday?

All you seem to be an expert at is insults and childish banter.

But like I said, with the way the country is going....

You'd make a great TSA Goose-Stepper.

[Zodiak]

89. Those of us with bad heart that a taser can kill

will NEVER feel that way.

290 deaths.......290.

The Taser is a torture device at best and a deadly weapon at worst.

[Richard Steele]

93. The near-random assemblages of sentences you consider "arguments" are as convincing as ever, I see.

[IntravenousDemilo]

18. So the "school resource officer" is an actual police officer, then?

I thought it was something like a guidance counsellor. At least that's what it sounded like to me. And I was wondering what a guidance counsellor-type would be doing with a taser, because those things don't belong in the hands of all and sundry. But since it was a policeman trying to keep order, I guess that's different.

[mitchum]

55. Yes, school resource officers are actual municipal police officers...

who are assigned to public schools.
The ones who have been assigned to my school have been wonderful public servants (great people skills, intelligent, truly concerned, etc...) and not power-mad quasi-fascists. Unfortunately, that is not true for all police officers...

[OzarkDem]

62. They're not interested in guiding students, only cashing in on them

The goal is to keep as many kids as possible enrolled and attending school so you can maximize your state and federal funding. Its a numbers game. They're not actually interested in helping anyone, or if so, only to the extent to protect the school from legal liability.

My experience with most educators has been that the majority don't even like the kids they work with. Its just a paycheck. They talk a good game in public, but if you watch them when they're with kids by themselves its a different story.

[pacalo]

45. Tasing is a deplorable substitution for policemen with inadequate people skills.

[uppityperson]

46. Well pur Thank you and good night. eom

[NC_Nurse]

52. This tasing thing is totally out of control.

:wtf:

[baldguy]

53. Do we really want our bureaucrats to have the authority to use deadly force?

And yes the use of tazers is deadly force - even if it is "less lethal" than a handgun.

[Vanje]

54. They had to Taze him! He was threatening to LEAVE!

He wanted to take his son and go home.
Oh the humanity.

[BronxBoy]

59. WTF

Can someone please tell me when a school fight became a jailable offense?

It seems to me we are far to quick to criminalize every little wrong doing by KIDS!!!!

There is a lot of stuff missing from this story. What was this guy ADAMANT about the school not taking his son to jail ir that wasn't a real possibility? And if it was, WHY? Were their weapons involved? Was someone beat nearly to death?

Just asking

[OzarkDem]

61. No surprise, I hope he sues them

Most school districts are run these days by guys who went to college to avoid the draft during the Vietnam era. They're the ones who couldn't cut law or engineering school, then flunked out of business school, then became education majors. Not the sharpest tools in the shed.

[MilesColtrane]

66. I doubt a lawsuit would do anything to change the outcome of a similar situation in the future.

Heck, if the school district fired the cop, they'd probably have another lawsuit on their hands.

Since the dad pleaded no contest to disturbing a lawful assembly, he might have a tough time convincing a jury to compel the school to fork over $$$.

Just depends on how much lawyer he can afford to hire.

[OzarkDem]

69. He should do it anyway

The school district needs to learn a lesson.

[Prefer]

65. We're going to have to waterboard him to find out the truth in the matter

I bet the enhanced interrogation method will finally get him to admit that he deserved to be tased.

[marions ghost]

68. BEFORE

any form of physical approach in this kind of borderline case, why aren't police departments required to use video cameras as a means of control? Once somebody starts filming, a lot of out-of-control individuals will knock it right off.

Two things.

1. Tasers are excessive force and should only be used short of a gun--ie. when clearly physically threatened. It appears that police do not understand this. They no longer bother to use other forms of control and anger management. They prefer the swiftness and certainty of tasers.

2. This country is full of violent individuals, and some of them look like ordinary parents of kids at the local high schools. The levels of anger and violence in this country are at epidemic proportions, partly thanks to the oppressive policies of the present administration. Sometimes you can't reason with people and they will do rash things they wouldn't do in a saner moment.

What happened here only the witnesses know for sure.

It's a good example of how sick this society is though.

[Guaranteed]

73. That is an EXCELLENT idea. Force people to control THEMSELVES. nt

[knitter4democracy]

75. I really like that idea.

Teachers often videotape themselves to learn how to teach better. What if administrators taped every session with parents? That way, everyone could have a copy, the superintendant would have a copy to review if they get involved in deciding what happens to a student, and everyone knows what was really said and how.

I think it's brilliant.

[midnight armadillo]

82. We're a torture society now

1. Tasers are excessive force and should only be used short of a gun--ie. when clearly physically threatened. It appears that police do not understand this. They no longer bother to use other forms of control and anger management. They prefer the swiftness and certainty of tasers.

This is absolutely true. LEO's appear in many media reports to be convinced that since a Taser is "non-lethal" that it can be deployed in any situation that they see fit, even in those that would not have escalated to physical violence in the pre-Taser days. This is a dangerous trend. It's basically a "torture the uncooperative" approach to law enforcement which does not serve the public at large or ultimately law enforcement either.

2. This country is full of violent individuals, and some of them look like ordinary parents of kids at the local high schools. The levels of anger and violence in this country are at epidemic proportions, partly thanks to the oppressive policies of the present administration. Sometimes you can't reason with people and they will do rash things they wouldn't do in a saner moment.

And it's going to get worse in the coming recession. However, why bother attempting to distinguish the dangerous from the merely troublesome when you can just Taser everyone in sight?

[Ishoutandscream2]

76. Working as a school counselor

I have had to deal with some crazy, violent parents. There have been times when I have feared for my safety.

[Ishoutandscream2]

77. Working as a school counselor

I have had to deal with some crazy, violent parents. There have been times when I have feared for my safety.

[Ishoutandscream2]

78. Working as a school counselor

I have had to deal with some crazy, violent parents. There have been times when I have feared for my safety.

[Ishoutandscream2]

80. Man, didn't mean to do that

[uppityperson]

86. OC or twitchy?

:rofl: I hate when that happens. And of course a situation where someone is violent needs a different approach from one where they aren't. But too often this isn't happening. Start with the lowest response, escalate only as needed, use tasers instead of guns and only when you might otherwise use a gun, film it all.

[Ishoutandscream2]

99. I understand your statement. And by all means I'm not for tasering

But I have had a parent so out of control that I had to have an SRO escort him out of my office. I actually had a parent in my office cussing out one of my teachers two weeks ago, and just as I was about to tell the parent to leave, the teacher went right back at her. It was amazing, and it was also for me quite refreshing.

[bobbolink]

97. Telling people to "calm down" is sooooo effective. I'm sure we've all noticed

how much calmer we all feel when someone tells us to "calm down".

Too bad the police can't seem to get effective training.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

106. Some parents are completely out of control

I don't know about tasering them, I think that's too extreme. And I usually do not come down on the side of the authorities. But some of these parents are as violent as their kids. I remember a deposition I took in a work comp case several years ago. I took the deposition of a teacher who was claiming a work injury involving stress. It started when he intervened and separated two kids who were fighting each other. He recommended a brief suspension for both kids and both sets of parents came after him. One of the mothers physically attacked the teacher in his classroom after school. The father cruised the high school several times with several known gang members in his car and a rifle sticking out of his car window, driving right by the teacher as he came out of class. On one occasion, the car nearly ran him down. The police investigated but did nothing. This went on for months and the school refused to do anything. The teacher got death threats at his home against his wife and children unless he quit. He finally decided to leave and filed a stress-related claim (back in the days when a psychological injury alone was a valid basis for a work comp claim). There were a lot more incidents (the deposition went on and on for two days with an incredible list of things the parents had done to this poor teacher). I felt really bad for the guy. Of course this is just a single anecdote and not all parents behave this way.

[Ishoutandscream2]

107. Thank you. No to tasering, but school personnel have to be protected

I'm telling you, it's not the kids I fear. There are parents who are some real loons, and each year it gets worse. We are in need of protection from these people.