My first thought was call the news, but I see that's been covered, so I'll just throw in one of these.
ETA: Also, which kid was called to the office? The kid who paid the money or the kid who took it? Because I'd be all over the both of them like stink on shit.
I showed this to DH who is a teacher of 6-8th grade and has his masters in administration and a principals license. He said if the mom hasn't already, she needs to talk to the principal and ask the reason for the lenient punishment and how is that going to make your nephew feel safe.
The principals responsibility is to make your nephew feel safe at school. If the mom is not happy with the principal's response, she needs to go to the superintendent. Before she meets with the super, check the school policy first to see if its an outdated policy. Some schools haven't updated their policies accordingly in light if the current school violence threat increase.
In DH's school, something similar has happened and it was an automatic 10 day suspension to threaten someone in that severe of a manner. They could also be recommended for expulsion. But regardless DH's school has the police come into the school and question the bad kid.
I'm sorry your nephew has to deal with this.
ETA : DH's school is a very small rural/slightly suburban district. So regardless if its a city school or small district, this needs to be taken seriously and escalated.
Agree with all of this.
But-
What if said perp is not a typically developing child and is served by an IEP that would mandate a manifest determination for more that 10 instructional days lost? This would explain why nobody's naming names.
I had a mentally ill child assault mine on an on-going basis in 6th. I agree whole-heartedly with putting the onus of the child's safety on the school/principal with the proviso that failure to do so will result in a visit form the local police, the local ASD support group and the 3 major network local affiliates.
That is horrifying. I'm so sorry your nephew has been threatened like that and that the school isn't taking it as seriously as they should.
I second everyone's advice about going directly to the principal and/or superintendent as well as going to the media if necessary. Until it is taken more seriously, I'm not sure I would have the nephew in school.
This is beyond bullying.
I hope that your nephew is doing ok and getting the support he needs and counseling if need be. I really can't imagine how this must be impacting him and making him feel. Make sure that his needs aren't lost in getting the rest of this handled appropriately.
Post by allaboutme on Mar 19, 2013 18:31:10 GMT -5
Im so sorry for your nephew, asswipe other kid, but I agree with the others... I would rage and kick some serious admins ass if I was his mom to insure his safety. Actually, I think I would change his school.
No fucking way would my kid be going back to that school while that child was still there. This is fucking insane and that school is wrong. Just, wrong. What does the code of conduct say?
Tell your her to raise hell and not feel bad about it at all.
Post by VeryViolet on Mar 19, 2013 20:27:22 GMT -5
I am also wondering which kid got suspension the kid who paid or the kid who took the money. I would be pressing charges against both. I am horrified that something as serious as this isn't being taken very seriously by administration. This is more than kids being stupid this is evil. I am so sorry for your nephew how scary for him. I cannot imagine having to go to school thinking someone was actively trying to kill me.
No fucking way would my kid be going back to that school while that child was still there. This is fucking insane and that school is wrong. Just, wrong. What does the code of conduct say?
Tell your her to raise hell and not feel bad about it at all.
I agree. Not only would I be scared to send him back, but how scared must her kid be? It's sad, small children shouldn't have to worry about these things.
In my school that would be a 10 day suspension, police would be involved and there would be a harassment , bullying and intimidation case open. I can guarantee that the student would be transferred to another school and before return have to see a psychiatrist. In school suspension is ridiculous. If I was the parent I would be up there tomorrow complaining to the principal and if necessary the superintendent, I would love to know the principals' logic.
I am sure by now she knows who it is, not from school but the rumor mill. I would be going the criminal route with this. What's the difference if the kids have a half day or 10 day suspension? Her child needs to feel safe and neither of those will make that happen. I would be in the position of the restraining order to keep the other children out of the school or pull my child.
I hope he is too young to fully understand what this means.
I am sure by now she knows who it is, not from school but the rumor mill. I would be going the criminal route with this. What's the difference if the kids have a half day or 10 day suspension? Her child needs to feel safe and neither of those will make that happen. I would be in the position of the restraining order to keep the other children out of the school or pull my child.
I hope he is too young to fully understand what this means.
That's why in my school he would of been transferred. Restraint order would have to be done with the police.
Post by EmilieMadison on Mar 19, 2013 20:56:27 GMT -5
I guarantee the school district has a zero tolerance policy for this, but someone has to enforce it. Tell her that she needs to march into the principal's office and say these words: LAWSUIT, LIABILITY, MEDIA
These words strike fear into school administration hearts. And they should. This is serious shit. And if the school is going to brush this off, then SHE is the one who has to fight for this. Paying someone to kill someone is illegal, and it obviously violates school rules. She should throw the biggest fucking fit they've ever seen until things are dealt with appropriately.
Post by tripleshot on Mar 19, 2013 20:59:04 GMT -5
auntie I asked DH your question. Students with an IEP are protected from more than 10 days out of school by having a manifest hearing to determine if the act was due to the nature of their disability. If the hearing determines that the act of violence was not due to their disability, they can be punished similar to a student without an IEP. Manifest hearings are only required for out of school suspensions because in school suspensions still allows the student access to their sp Ed services.
auntie I asked DH your question. Students with an IEP are protected from more than 10 days out of school by having a manifest hearing to determine if the act was due to the nature of their disability. If the hearing determines that the act of violence was not due to their disability, they can be punished similar to a student without an IEP. Manifest hearings are only required for out of school suspensions because in school suspensions still allows the student access to their sp Ed services.
Exactly. ISS takes the expense of manifest determination hearing off the table.
I showed this to DH who is a teacher of 6-8th grade and has his masters in administration and a principals license. He said if the mom hasn't already, she needs to talk to the principal and ask the reason for the lenient punishment and how is that going to make your nephew feel safe.
The principals responsibility is to make your nephew feel safe at school. If the mom is not happy with the principal's response, she needs to go to the superintendent. Before she meets with the super, check the school policy first to see if its an outdated policy. Some schools haven't updated their policies accordingly in light if the current school violence threat increase.
In DH's school, something similar has happened and it was an automatic 10 day suspension to threaten someone in that severe of a manner. They could also be recommended for expulsion. But regardless DH's school has the police come into the school and question the bad kid.
I'm sorry your nephew has to deal with this.
ETA : DH's school is a very small rural/slightly suburban district. So regardless if its a city school or small district, this needs to be taken seriously and escalated.
Agree with all of this.
But-
What if said perp is not a typically developing child and is served by an IEP that would mandate a manifest determination for more that 10 instructional days lost? This would explain why nobody's naming names.
I had a mentally ill child assault mine on an on-going basis in 6th. I agree whole-heartedly with putting the onus of the child's safety on the school/principal with the proviso that failure to do so will result in a visit form the local police, the local ASD support group and the 3 major network local affiliates.
Even if this kid does have an IEP, that does not give him a free pass to hire a hit man (hit kid?). I'm a sped teacher and cannot imagine a situation in which one of my students, even the very severe BD, would be covered for conspiring to kill another student.
Manifest determination is important to protect kids with disabilities, but we also have to protect other students in the school. Severe behavior that could harm other students is not protected. This kid needs help far beyond what the school can provide, so I hope the police get involved.
What if said perp is not a typically developing child and is served by an IEP that would mandate a manifest determination for more that 10 instructional days lost? This would explain why nobody's naming names.
I had a mentally ill child assault mine on an on-going basis in 6th. I agree whole-heartedly with putting the onus of the child's safety on the school/principal with the proviso that failure to do so will result in a visit form the local police, the local ASD support group and the 3 major network local affiliates.
Even if this kid does have an IEP, that does not give him a free pass to hire a hit man (hit kid?). I'm a sped teacher and cannot imagine a situation in which one of my students, even the very severe BD, would be covered for conspiring to kill another student.
Manifest determination is important to protect kids with disabilities, but we also have to protect other students in the school. Severe behavior that could harm other students is not protected. This kid needs help far beyond what the school can provide, so I hope the police get involved.
So you'd have to look at how credible the threat actually was.
Did the kid who made the threat really have the bandwidth and means to act on the threat or was it a whole lots of poor self regulation and wishful braggadacio?
I think they should pursue this in any way they can, be it getting the kid expelled, or police intervention. Either that kid needs serious help, or if he thought it was a joke, needs to be taught quickly.
ETA: It's fucking gross that the school would rather protect his identity than protect your nephew. It's unfair, and dangerous to let this go.
Post by textbookcase on Mar 19, 2013 22:42:17 GMT -5
Hey, guys. Sorry I haven't been commenting, I was at Little League games all afternoon/evening.
Thanks for all of the advice, I'm passing it all on to her. I told her she should contact the newspaper and local news channels. She did contact the principal again and said that she isn't happy with the course of discipline (or lack thereof) that the school is taking. The principal said she couldn't discuss the course of discipline with her, but that (nephew) would feel safe and not see the kid tomorrow, I guess because of the in-house suspension. She said that she still wasn't happy with the way it was being handled. I will mention contacting the superintendent as well. I do understand not releasing the kid's name, but man!
I'm glad you updated and glad your sister called the principal. Not "seeing" the kid for one day is not going to make him feel safe. In fact, I'm really disgusted that the principal would imply that nephew should feel remotely safe in this situation, where the other child is still in the building. I would not send nephew to school tomorrow (just MO) and would call the school and tell them exactly why he is not there and that she will be scheduling a meeting to speak with superintendent that day. I would also recommend that she really get serious about this - it's not just that she "isn't happy with the way it is being handled" it is that this other child is now a constant threat to her son's safety as he threatened his life and that what this kid was planning to do is a very serious crime.
I'm really honestly livid for your sister and her son that this isn't being taken more seriously, and if it were me I would be getting a shit storm ready to hurl at everyone who is trying to brush this under the rug. Ugh.
OMG, that is horrifying. Does duty to warn have any affect here? No way would I send my kid to school if they don't even know who they need to avoid. And based on the schools solution, I would not trust them to keep them separate and protect my kid.
I think a lot of it will have to do with if money actually exchanged hands. It's pretty hard to blame that on a disability if he actually gave a kid money.
Regardless, even if he is IEP, a half-day ISS is not a reasonable consequence; however, since the school can't tell the mom if that actually was the punishment or not it could just be a rumor.
Glad she filed a report. I would hate for that to be true. Like lucy said, that would be a total disservice to all the students. Especially the boy making the threat.