Maybe I am losing my mind but I could have sworn I just read an article from Associated Press that details a ridiculous case involving the First Philadelphia Charter School for Literacy and a six year old kindergarten student. The short version of the story is this:
The teacher complained (to her five and six year old students) that her legs hurt. The little boy told her, “I want to make them feel better,” and rubbed her thighs. He was PERMANENTLY EXPELLED!!! The reason given by the school was some foolishness about it being “inappropriate for a 6 year old child to touch an adult teacher on both upper thighs, near her crotch area while the adult is sitting in a school setting.”
Are these people serious? Are any of my tax dollars supporting this school? Can I get a refund?
To add insult to injury, the so-called “adult” teacher had the nerve to testify that the boy’s contact made her feel uncomfortable but she acknowledged that the other students in her class regularly gave her hugs.
This is a load of bull squat. The school had already labeled this kid disruptive, and they used an innocent encounter to get rid of him, pure and simple. I really do hope the parents of the other students enrolled in this piss-poor excuse for a school realize their normal, active, occasionally disruptive child is at risk of being railroaded out of there.
And that would probably be a good thing!
Common Pleas Judge Paul P. Panepinto overturned the expulsion and wrote the school “… made a gross abuse of discretion that was not supported by evidence in the record..” He is also going to expunge the child’s record of the expulsion.
Why did it take a Judge to realize this kid was merely trying to comfort his teacher? Thank God he’s is young enough to forget all about this mess. But, I’m not sure that I will.
Please leave a comment in the reply box below. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks
June 15, 2011 @ 4:56 am
If you tell a child your leg hurt and he rubs it that doesn't tell you he's just trying to comfort your pain. You telling me a school of adults couldn't figure that out…wow…I'm glad a judge could see thru the foolishness and maybe the teacher should have been let go for even bringing this mess up.
June 15, 2011 @ 5:13 am
Hi Twaina,
Thanks for the comment. I believe they knew he was trying to comfort the "teacher" but, because he'd had a couple of normal, frisky kid incidents in the past, they used something innocent to get rid of him. I am still shaking my head.