Teacher Charged After Forcing Student Into Pool

[orangeblossom]

Nope, nope, nope. Not the way to handle this.

Video at the link

www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/11/21/teacher-charges-student-pool/19332749/

A physical education teacher in the Stockton Unified School District in Stockton, Calif., is facing a charge of corporal injury to a child. He is on paid leave after video surfaced of him allegedly trying to force a 14-year-old girl into a pool during a P.E. class.

Denny Peterson, employed by the school district for more than 10 years, is seen on video for 95 seconds using strong force to drag the girl toward the pool at Edison High School. The incident happened in late August, and much of it was captured on video by another student.

Screengrab from video
A screengrab from a video that shows a teacher allegedly forcing a student into swimming pool.
Gilbert Somera is a Stockton attorney representing the girl and her family.

"Regardless of her participation (in the class) it should disgust you how this man put his hands on a 14-year-old girl. She said multiple times, 'My top is falling down,'" Somera said.

Peterson is preparing a claim and likely a lawsuit over the struggle. He was put on paid leave for a month immediately following the incident, but was then brought back and assigned to another Stockton campus. Only Thursday, when KXTV-TV notified the school district that Peterson was facing a misdemeanor charge of corporal injury to a child, was he placed on leave again.

This is the district's response to the incident, the video and the punishment of Peterson: "SUSD has taken appropriate action in this case. The teacher has been placed on paid administrative leave per district policy."

The girl was avoiding the pool that day because she had had her hair done that morning and had an event to attend that night. Somera said the teacher had the option of punishing her academically but not physically.

"No means no and stop means stop. This isn't a situation where she's attacking a teacher and he's defending himself. When a woman or a 14-year-old girl says no, it means no," Somera said.

[foundmylazybum]

She should get a big fail for the day at least. But not force into the water. That never teaches anything but fear.

[josieposy]

There is nothing acceptable about that teacher's actions. Full stop. I'd be blowing up the phones over this.

[rugbywife]

I don't understand how anybody, especially an adult and even more especially, a teacher, can think that it is every appropriate to put their hands on a student in a manner that would ever be perceived as aggressive. Andplusso, how do you not expect it to end up on video.

[orangeblossom]

Nov 22, 2014 15:22:35 GMT -5 josieposy said:

There is nothing acceptable about that teacher's actions. Full stop. I'd be blowing up the phones over this.

This. Should she have done as she was told, yes. However, as the school district stated, she could have been sent to the office.

There was absolutely no reason for him to do as he did. I mean, really, other kids were coming to her defense and he was still trying to pull her in. Unacceptable.

[foundmylazybum]

Nov 22, 2014 15:10:29 GMT -5 @hannymaren said:

Would a teacher force you to do your math? Tie you to the desk, hold your pen for you?

Although I did have a teacher that duct taped a students legs to his chair in grade 4 because he wouldn't stop moving. The kid didn't take offense. Nobody got in trouble. Probably not a good solution but this teacher was so frustrated.

[AJL]

No. No. This is not OK. The response should be that she gets a zero for the class that day and move along. NO HANDS ON STUDENTS.

[blink]

How did this teacher think this was going to go? You try and force a student into a pool, drag her across the ground as she clings to other students. I don't understand how the district can call what they've done appropriate (in reaction to the teacher). The teacher doesn't have the judgement to be in charge of students.

[sugarbear]

She wasn't afraid of the water; she'd had her hair done that morning.
Regardless, the video is horrifying and I cannot believe the teacher put his hands on her.

[orangeblossom]

Nov 22, 2014 21:45:44 GMT -5 mockingbird said:

Am I misreading? "Peterson is preparing a claim and likely a lawsuit. ." That sounds like the teacher is filing something?

Not misreading. I wonder what it will be for. I'm not imagining any instance where what he did is okay.

[erbear]

Nov 22, 2014 15:49:05 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

I don't understand how anybody, especially an adult and even more especially, a teacher, can think that it is every appropriate to put their hands on a student in a manner that would ever be perceived as aggressive. Andplusso, how do you not expect it to end up on video.

That's what I was thinking. I'm a teacher. I get it. It can be frustrating when students are doing what you ask. But damn, man. You never put your hands on a kid like that. Ridiculous.

[starlily]

Nov 22, 2014 21:50:55 GMT -5 orangeblossom said:

Nov 22, 2014 21:45:44 GMT -5 mockingbird said:

Am I misreading? "Peterson is preparing a claim and likely a lawsuit. ." That sounds like the teacher is filing something?

Not misreading. I wonder what it will be for. I'm not imagining any instance where what he did is okay.

I'm guessing a suit against the school district related to his transfer to another school and not being reinstated to his usual position.

[bugandbibs]

Oh fuck no! If that was my daughter there would be hell to pay.

This girl should have gotten a zero for the day, and moved on. Putting hands on a student is never okay.

[orangeblossom]

Nov 23, 2014 0:33:27 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Hell no! He should lose his license.
Side note, I am really surprise other students didn't retaliate against the teacher, or try to physically intervene.

They did to an extent. Goths tracher was just determined to pull her in.

One girl us trying to pull her away from him. Another tried to hit him with the kick board. Another splashed water on him.

He completely list it