St. Petersburg 5-year-old cuffed after school outburst


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dasmi
March 18, 2005, 02:18 PM
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/gen/ap/FL_Child_Arrested.html



St. Petersburg 5-year-old cuffed after school outburst

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A 5-year-old girl was arrested, cuffed and put in back of a police cruiser after an outburst at school where she threw books and boxes, kicked a teacher in the shins, smashed a candy dish, hit an assistant principal in the stomach and drew on the walls.

The students were counting jelly beans as part of a math exercise at Fairmount Park Elementary School when the little girl began acting silly. That's when her teacher took away her jelly beans, outraging the child.

Minutes later, the 40-pound girl was in the back of a police cruiser, under arrest for battery. Her hands were bound with plastic ties, her ankles in handcuffs.

"I don't want to go to jail," she said moments after her arrest Monday.

No charges were filed and the girl went home with her mother.

While police say their actions were proper, school officials were not pleased with the outcome.

"We never want to have 5-year-old children arrested," said Michael Bessette, the district's Area III superintendent.

The district's campus police should have been called to help and not local police, he said.

Bessette said campus police routinely deal with children and are trained to calm them in such situations.

Under the district's code of student conduct, students are to be suspended for 10 days and recommended for expulsion for unprovoked attacks, even if they don't result in serious injury. But district spokesman Ron Stone said that rule wouldn't apply to kindergartners.

"She's been appropriately disciplined under the circumstances," he said.

The girl's mother, Inda Akins, said she is consulting an attorney.

"She's never going back to that school," Akins said. "They set my baby up."


They set your baby up?! :banghead: :banghead:

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jefnvk
March 18, 2005, 03:05 PM
The girl's mother, Inda Akins, said she is consulting an attorney.

I would hope so.

People that can't handel a 5-yr old throwing a fit should not teach Kindergarten.

41mag
March 18, 2005, 03:09 PM
The response was not appropriate!

That belligerent 40lb five year old girl should have been pepper sprayed,tased,strapped down,& catheterized!

This is a police state & we will not allow five years olds to have tantrums!Ever!


:cuss:

El Tejon
March 18, 2005, 03:15 PM
No, those aren't my jelly beans. I was just holding them for a, um, er, friend. Yeah, a friend. :D

A 5 year old terrorizes an entire school full of "adults." :rolleyes:

Truly we are living in the Age of the Wimp.

RyanM
March 18, 2005, 03:15 PM
This is why they shouldna never banned corporal punishment.

But nooo, some people just can't handle the distinction between positive punishment* and abuse.

*Positive punishment means punishing by adding a negative stimulus of some sort, like spanking or whatever. Negative punishment is removing a positive stimulus, like time-out. Positive rewarding is adding a positive stimulus, direct reward. Negative rewarding is removing a negative stimulus.

Yet somehow "positive reinforcement" (meaningless catchphrase yay) involves the using most effective reward system for things as small as not attempting to murder your sister that day, while saving the least effective punishing system for a last resort. Sheesh.

mr.trooper
March 18, 2005, 03:24 PM
"campus police routinely deal with children and are trained to calm them in such situations."

YES! pacify the little brat and bow to her will! thats the way to raise a proper child!

i agree that the arest was WAY overreacting. that child should have been slaped and sat in the corner. and if she got out of the corner, duct taped to the chair till he parents came to pick her up.

i love her responce wen arrested: "i dont want to go to jail". still not sorry for what she did, only sorry that her actions had consiquences (probably for the first time, judging by mommys "they set my child up" responce). What a brat.

If i had yelled at the teacher, destroyed soemone elses property, and phisicaly attacked the teacher, my principal would have clubed me up side the head and spanked me, and then sent me home..where i could have gotten another spanking from my mom...and another spanking fom my dad wen HE got home.

kids these days

Pilgrim
March 18, 2005, 03:24 PM
I would hope so.

People that can't handel a 5-yr old throwing a fit should not teach Kindergarten.

I think mother is the type of person who would retain an attorney regardless of how her little darling was handled. I rather suspect little darling throws these kind of fits all the time at home.

Pilgrim

mr.trooper
March 18, 2005, 03:29 PM
Exactly...

i wouldnt be supprised if te little "Angel" Grew up to be a slasher who murdered multiple people with a butcher knife...

And momy would still have an attournie on hand to help her "Angel" who was Obviously "set up" by the "oppressive" police.

mtnbkr
March 18, 2005, 03:31 PM
There's not much you can do to "handle" a 5yo in the middle of a physical temper tantrum that would be allowed in a school setting.

"Age of the Wimp" has nothing to do with it. Unless it's brave and macho to risk your job and a lawsuit over some 5yo's tantrum.

Chris

Leatherneck
March 18, 2005, 03:32 PM
"We never want to have 5-year-old children arrested," said Michael Bessette, the district's Area III superintendent.
Then don't call the cops, Dimwit! Do your job! :fire:

TC
TFL Survivor

Abby
March 18, 2005, 03:37 PM
Heck, the kid was LUCKY. Down in Miami I think they're using tasers on infants now. Of course, up here in Central Florida, we're much more civilized. :)

michiganfan
March 18, 2005, 03:39 PM
You know I am one of those personal injury trial lawyers that everybody hates and for my two cents the kid got just what she deserved. I wouldn't take the case.

2nd Amendment
March 18, 2005, 03:53 PM
A 5 year old deserves to be cuffed and stuffed. :rolleyes: Thanks for reinforcing the stereotype there...

Regardless, I am actually happy to see these incidents. They are the ugly reality-adjusting hiccup in the incrementalism that has and continues to redefine society. You can talk about "Zero Tolerance" and stupid-cop-tricks and whatever, but something like this makes people sit up and notice...sometimes. *sigh*

Standing Wolf
March 18, 2005, 04:13 PM
That's when her teacher took away her jelly beans, outraging the child.

See? It was the teacher's fault. If you always give children everything they want, they'll grow up to be good socialist looters.

Wildalaska
March 18, 2005, 04:17 PM
Kids old enough to do damage, should be old enough to get restrained.

WildseemsreasonablehereAlaska

spacemanspiff
March 18, 2005, 04:22 PM
see what all the hippy parenting get you? kids that have no respect for anyone else. kids that expect the world to do whatever they desire.



i'll make a terrible father. not only will i dictate to my kids what they 'need' and ignore their 'wants', i'll also have paddling sticks custom made for when they do act up. yes, i will spank my kids.



but first i gotta find a woman sucker enough, oops, i mean, i need to find 'the one and only' woman that completes me.

Combat-wombat
March 18, 2005, 04:32 PM
She's a friggin' five year old! I can't believe anyone would suggest that this "seems reasonable" for a 40 pound girl. I doubt she could have done much damage, if any, to anyone. She could have been easily restrained without handcuffs or police presence.

Even as I take into consideration that the teacher couldn't have done it without fear of legal reprocussion, it still pisses me off greatly that calling the police was the only option in today's soceity of whiney soccer moms and lawsuits.

deej
March 18, 2005, 04:34 PM
i love her responce wen arrested: "i dont want to go to jail". still not sorry for what she did, only sorry that her actions had consiquences (probably for the first time, judging by mommys "they set my child up" responce). What a brat.


So basically you're saying she's developmentally normal for her age?

spacemanspiff
March 18, 2005, 04:35 PM
devils advocate says that if a member of the school staff had restrained the girl, there would be allegations of assault, either physical or sexual.

i wonder when the mugshots will be posted? maybe the kid has some 'gang ink'? a teardrop tat? :neener:

dasmi
March 18, 2005, 04:37 PM
The parent probably never tells the girl no.
The schools don't tell kids no.
The mother is an idiot. "They set my baby up?"
Please.

Spreadfire Arms
March 18, 2005, 04:44 PM
ditto what Leatherneck said in regards to:

"While police say their actions were proper, school officials were not pleased with the outcome.

"We never want to have 5-year-old children arrested," said Michael Bessette, the district's Area III superintendent."

I think it is awful convenient for the school, which is run by professional adults who are used to dealing with children, from the administrators on down to the teaching staff, to call the cops and wish the situation away. then when the cops do their job all of a sudden they jump in to Monday Morning Quarterback the situation.

i suspect they called the police because they wanted to clean their hands of the mess. they can't restrain her or otherwise control a 5-year-old so they call the police and criticize them when they themselves could not handle a 5-year-old.

now the mom is thinking about filing a civil suit? how about disciplining your child? if she was disciplined at home she wouldn't have thought it was okay to exert physical violence on others. how about if my kid (which i dont have, but let's say an imaginary kid) had to go to school with your daughter, lady, and because you didn't discipline your kid, my kid got injured when she threw stuff everywhere and something hit my kid? the cops did the right thing. they did what the mother should have done in the first place. failure to remove the child from the room could have caused undue injury to the other children and to herself. there are no grounds for a lawsuit. :cool:

geez louise. :barf:

wasrjoe
March 18, 2005, 04:53 PM
It's not that the teachers couldn't handle the situation. They were afraid to. This was probably the type of parent who defends whatever her child does and threatens to sue over the slightest punishment. What do you expect the teachers to do in a situation like this? Restrain the child yourself and risk being bitten/scratched and then probably be sued and lose your job?

This is speculation without all the facts, of course, but I have a strong hunch that this had nothing to do with the teachers being "wimps". Unless you call not wanting to lose your job and your money and huge chunks of your time for the next few years being a wimp.

"She's never going back to that school," Akins said. "They set my baby up."

Yeah, the teachers just bribed all the other kids at school with jelly beans to lie about her little baby so that she would get sent to the slammer. :rolleyes:

wasrjoe
March 18, 2005, 04:56 PM
"While police say their actions were proper, school officials were not pleased with the outcome.

"We never want to have 5-year-old children arrested," said Michael Bessette, the district's Area III superintendent."

To me, that doesn't say that the superintendent is upset with the police. She was simply saying she was upset that it came to that point.

Though far be it from me to suggest that management doing a CYA is out of the question.

Bobarino
March 18, 2005, 05:33 PM
gotta go with WildAlaska on this one. if the parents aren't effectively disciplining the little brat, and teachers certainly aren't allowed to do it, then i have no problem with finding alternate methods of instilling the fear of god the kid. its pathetic that it took the police to do so. this is the jb of parents and teachers. of course, if th kid's parents actually punished her, the kid would probably get her own lawyer and sue her parents.

Bobby

Wildalaska
March 18, 2005, 05:50 PM
She's a friggin' five year old! I can't believe anyone would suggest that this "seems reasonable" for a 40 pound girl. I doubt she could have done much damage, if any, to anyone. She could have been easily restrained without handcuffs or police presence.

How do you know? Were ya there? Ya think the cops are just jack booted thugs who get their jollies over cuffin little kids? Ya think police in this place have nothing better to do...???

Isnt it likely that this kid was out of control and in danger of hurting herself and others? Didnt the school feel that this situation warranted police intervention, they called em, right? And the cops made a judgement that this intrusion on the poor kids freedom was justified didnt they.?They were on the scene, so were the cops, you werent, neither was I....

We shouild rename this part of the Board "Second Guess Everyone Based on News Reports"

WildandwhatsitgottodowithgunsAlaska

spacemanspiff
March 18, 2005, 05:56 PM
you know for as much as you scold us for talking about off topic stuff, oleg oughta make you a mod.

Destructo6
March 18, 2005, 05:56 PM
The schools don't tell kids no.
I've been working as a substitute teacher of late and "no" is my favorite word.

If I have a problem with a student, they get counseled by me, then sent to the principal's office or removed by campus security: they're charged with that sort of duty, I am not.

mtnbkr
March 18, 2005, 05:56 PM
I'd like any parents here tell me what would've been an acceptable method to control this child. Not what they as parents would do, but what they would allow a teacher to do to their child. Personally, I'd approve corporal punishment in a heartbeat. I'd also not argue with the tactic of placing her in the back of a patrol car. She's safe there and can't harm herself or others.

That said, I don't ever expect my child to act in that manner. I certainly wouldn't approve of such antics.

Chris

P95Carry
March 18, 2005, 05:59 PM
Hmmmm ....... not a very ''gunny'' thread - is it ................... better placed IMO over on APS. Seeing as it has about run its course, we'll let it go - but probably not for long!!

Wildalaska
March 18, 2005, 06:00 PM
you know for as much as you scold us for talking about off topic stuff, oleg oughta make you a mod.

Hey, ya know I got to go waaaay over to another Board to do off topic stuff, yet still see guys posting it here...

I thought the cop bashing was finished on the High Road...guess not....

WildanyonehavearecipeforjerkporkAlaska

Firethorn
March 18, 2005, 07:00 PM
Those of you ripping on the Superintendant, have any of you considered that maybe the local school called the cops directly, and the super didn't hear about it until after the incident, or at least after the cops had already gotten to the scene?

"Positive Punishment" doesn't always work. It depends on the kid. It didn't work too well on me.

I think being cuffed & stuffed in the back of the police cruiser counts as punishment of the "sit in the corner" class. Maybe the tot won't do this again? Scared straight?

My thing: She was misbehaving. She was punished. The punishment might have been odd, it might be a tad excessive, but I'm assuming the kid's not harmed, nor has she been tortured. She was restrained, but that's appropriate when they're destroying stuff.

Gunsnrovers
March 18, 2005, 07:15 PM
People that can't handel a 5-yr old throwing a fit should not teach Kindergarten.

Throwing a fit and hitting/destroying things are not the same.

Try to physically restrain a child in your class and you'll find yourself looking for a new job by the time the last bell rings.

The school officials can't discipline so the only available answers open involve the police or campus police. It's part of damned zero tolerance. By taking away options, you limit your response to all or nothing. :cuss:

Beren
March 18, 2005, 07:41 PM
They should have tasered her until she provided a urine sample.

Wait...wrong thread.

Ahem. It's a sad, sad world when we've crippled our school system to the point that teachers cannot enact discipline in their classrooms without fear of losing their jobs or more. If I'd have pulled this kind of crap, my father would have beat me five ways from Sunday and the local cops would have only got involved long enough to offer him a glass of water after all his hard work.

The cops should not have their time wasted responding to an "assault in progress by a five year-old."

The obvious:

1. Parents, discipline your children.

2. Parents, meet and communicate with the teachers of your children. Tell them to call you if the brat gets out of line, and YOU will come in and spank their precious bottoms. And if you can't due to work, verbally authorize the school to do so.

3. "She's never going back to that school." Um. Gee. Kids, time for a party!

Markheck1
March 18, 2005, 07:48 PM
look at how much flak that other teacher took just for yelling at his students, if they would lay a hand on the kid, mommy would sue....

2nd Amendment
March 18, 2005, 08:31 PM
I thought the cop bashing was finished on the High Road...guess not....

I'd hoped the knee-jerk defenses were as well.

But, of course, some people miss the point(as always). This isn't about jack-booted cops, it's about society and how it has had its spine yanked out by leftist social engineering. The point is the cops should have never been called for a five year old with a bad attitude. Yes, I will say without hesitation the kid was not sufficiently violent or destructive to warrant police presence in a building full of other adults whose job was the child's supervision in the first place. Unfortunately it's easier, and safer from a legal standpoint, to pass the buck these days.

I suppose that here at least it's easier to distract from the topic than solve it, too, eh?

Wildalaska
March 18, 2005, 09:46 PM
But, of course, some people miss the point(as always).

Dude it so sad that some folks cant do anyhting more than respond ad hominem

This isn't about jack-booted cops, it's about society and how it has had its spine yanked out by leftist social engineering.

O really? Well where do I see that in the opening post.....


The point is the cops should have never been called for a five year old with a bad attitude.

O really...what about a five year old having a temper tantrum with a piece of broken glass held against his or her own throat? What about a kid smashing glass, striking out, using common objects as weapons? Cops are trained to respond to extreme violence..kindergarten teachers shouldnt be.

The word never is a bad word to use

Yes, I will say without hesitation the kid was not sufficiently violent or destructive to warrant police presence in a building full of other adults whose job was the child's supervision in the first place

Well damn, since you were there, tell us EXACTLY what happened then

WildyepsameoldsameoldAlaska

2nd Amendment
March 18, 2005, 09:59 PM
Correct, it is the same old same old.

Noting a fact is now ad hom? I'll try and remember that.

That was the opening post. From the mother's absurd "defense" back to the fact those in charge at the school were unable to deal with a five year old child. Irresponsibility and cowardice across the board.

A five year old is almost incapable of such extreme violence(unless we're talking about a child with known mental problems which has not been suggested to be the case here). And, specifically, THIS child wasn't holding a piece of glass to her own throat. Stick with the actual events.

We know what happened, it's not in dispute. So would YOU call the popo in such a situation as the one described? Next up the teacher she kicked in the shins will be filing assault charges. :rolleyes: And goodness, just imagine the pain inflicted by being punched in the stomach by a five year old girl. Better put some ice on that.

P95Carry
March 18, 2005, 10:10 PM
Folks - first off - this is not technically a THR type thread at all. It is from that POV hardly on topic as it is not about shooting and guns, political or legal standpoints.

It has been round the block twice - and some. As ever there has been bashing, of all sorts. It may have ''explored'' the situation some but is not IMO going anywhere useful, in fact I can see little more than downhill in its future.

As I said earlier and reiterate - continue if you must over on APS. This is as far as it goes here.

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