Principal Suspended After Pointing Toy Gun At Student

[gunsmith]

What a dolt!
http://www.thewpbfchannel.com/educat...88/detail.html
Principal Issues Statement

UPDATED: 10:35 AM EST January 13, 2004

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A middle-school principal faces suspension after a plan to punish one of his students backfired.

The Palm Beach County School District decided Monday to suspend David Samore for 10 days without pay.

The Okeeheelee Middle School principal admitted to pointing a toy gun at a 13-year-old. The teenager was in the principal's office because someone accused the teen of taking a real gun to school.

In a statement released late Monday night, Samore said his actions were inappropriate, but he was determined to avoid a possible tragedy at the school.

[HankB]

First "zero tolerance" story I've enjoyed.

[Standing Wolf]

Are leftist born dumb, or do they go to school for it?

[M99M12]

Nobody can be born that dumb, you gotta take that first breath. Some folk go downhill after that, I figure.

[JitsuGuy]

What if he would have just pretended his hand was a gun and pointed it at the student?

J

[nico]

I don't think that's enough. Here, the situation had be reversed, the student would have been expelled (probably would be if he'd pointed his finger at a teacher "like a gun" too), why should the principal, who should definitely know better since it's his job to enforce the rules, be held to a lower standard than a student in his own school would?

[P95Carry]

Like most ''zero tolerance'' .... (PC crap) .... instances these days ... quite absurd and ridiculous.

I am so tired of it all .. as it worsens by the day it seems.

And it ain't just my age either!

[El Rojo]

Now if a kid would have brought a toy gun to school and got busted for it, would you most of you had said that it was just a toy gun and they should lighten up? Or would you have jumped on the band wagon and asked why the kid wasn't imprisoned for 20 years for breaking the law?

I just find it amusing that people are against this zero tolerance crap until it happens to someone in law enforcement or a position in authority and suddenly they think it is good for them to get a good dose of what the legislature passed. Either it is wrong or it is right. That is the way I look at it.

Being a teacher I find it hard to find fault with the principal for at least trying to wake the little bastard up. So many people want to baby these kids and all they really need to get put in line sometimes is a good scare or a good butt kicking. However, this is a kindler, gentler, more civilized society and trouble makers are handled with kid gloves and there are never any consequences for thier actions. Try and tell me that this soft gloved approach is doing wonders for our kids.

As an aside, I work in a federal prison as a teacher while I am student teaching at a public high school. Guess which students are on their best behavior and where the discipline system works best? How wrong is it when I find it easier to teach inmates than our public school students?

[Blackcloud6]

What exactly did this guy do? The article doesn't really say much.

[Zach S]

I work in a federal prison as a teacher while I am student teaching at a public high school. Guess which students are on their best behavior and where the discipline system works best? How wrong is it when I find it easier to teach inmates than our public school students?

I was somewhat of a hellion in HS, didnt look for trouble, just kinda found me. Most of the time it was a discussion with a leftist teacher that started civil, but then again I wouldnt listen when he/she would say "That's enough" or some variation, when I started to make him/her look like an ??? in front of the rest of the class.

In HS, I had these forms of discipline:

• Parent Conference
• Lunch Detention
• In-School-Suspension
• Out of School Suspension
• Expulsion

None of them worried me at all, and I could see why its easier to teach inmates...

[El Rojo]

You don't describe yourself as a bad kid. If some kid wants to argue with me in class about the content, that is prefectly fine. Heck even if an inmate wanted to get into a discussion, that is fine.

The problem I find now a days is complete and total apathy. They don't care about a darn thing. It really is depressing. That is alright though. I am on a mission. I can teach government. I know how and I like it. I am going to reach some kids and for those who don't seem to care much, they are still going to hear the message. They might not care, but they are going to hear it.

[Leatherneck]

Rojo,
Good for you. Thanks.

I kind of take exception to

Being a teacher I find it hard to find fault with the principal for at least trying to wake the little bastard up.

Yeah, getting their attention is a challenge. But it's just plain wrong for anybody to aim a weapon (real or not) at another person for that reason.

TC
TFL Survivor

[answerguy]

The story is missing something that would be important to me; was this an obvious toy, like a squirt gun or a good fake like an airsoft?

[El Rojo]

Yeah I know Leatherneck, but what will get these kids attention? You are right, but that is where we are in education. They tie our hands behind our backs and instead of being able to do the right thing in the first place, we end up wanting to do anything to just make these kids wake up.

I am becoming more and more a fan of good old fashioned butt whippings. I think that is all some of these kids need.

[Leatherneck]

I am becoming more and more a fan of good old fashioned butt whippings.

I never stopped. Ask my grown kids.

TC
TFL Survivor

[Zach S]

You don't describe yourself as a bad kid. If some kid wants to argue with me in class about the content, that is prefectly fine. Heck even if an inmate wanted to get into a discussion, that is fine.

The problem I find now a days is complete and total apathy. They don't care about a darn thing. It really is depressing. That is alright though. I am on a mission. I can teach government. I know how and I like it. I am going to reach some kids and for those who don't seem to care much, they are still going to hear the message. They might not care, but they are going to hear it.

Arguments were just the snowball. Shortly after it was rolled down a hill.

Since I had long hair, wore sleeveless shrits, blue jeans, a leather jacket and either "biker" or Altama boots, a few teachers, along with the principal, saw me as a hellraiser and treated me as so. In return, I treated them with the same respect most hellraisers treat ppl with authority. I got along with a lot of my teachers though, and some couldnt understand why others had a low opinion of me.

The point is that its hard to care about whatever class and respect whoever's teaching it when they start to treat you like **** before they know your name. Some students will respect who repsects them, others dont because they get the impression all teachers are ???????s because of a few.

Back on topic:

I have been accused of taking a gun to school. Wasnt long after columbine. I was searched, as well as mine and my GF's locker, bookbag and car. If my HS principal pointed a gun at me, obvious toy or not, I would have went over his desk.

I am becoming more and more a fan of good old fashioned butt whippings.

Which remids me, when I got home from school, I behaved...

[Gocart]

I'm completing my 22nd year of my career in education. I've taught and been a principal in both public and private education. I'm also a deputy with the local sheriff's department. As a principal, I've handled firearms investigations and incidents of firearms on campus several times. I say that to paint myself as a sympathizer to teachers and administrators...

But, that principal screwed up, no doubt about it. He was either joking or trying to intimidate/scare the student, and neither motivation justifies the action.

I've been told that I have a personal presence that is intimidating both at school and on patrol, and I intentionally use it at times. But, acting in a way that communicates a threat of physical harm to a student in a controlled situation is out of line for any educator.

Obviously, if the principal was in a dynamic scenario where he felt a gun may be produced by the student at any moment, the situation is different, but he's still wrong for using a toy gun. That's when he needs a real gun, or a cop, or an armed school resource officer. Pointing a believable toy gun at an armed person is an excellent way to get shot.

It goes against the grain for me to criticize my peers, but I can find no way to justify what this principal did. I hope he learns from his mistake and gets another chance.

BTW, I am STRONGLY in favor of arming teachers and administrators who meet established training criteria.

[MicroBalrog]

And to think O'Reilly defends zero tolerance... but that's typical.

[Pilgrim]

I think a chicken "finger" with one end painted red-orange would have been more appropriate in this instance.

Pilgrim