Full Version: Teachers Harass Student
This poor kid. His name is Osama al-Najjar, and as you might imagine, that name has caused problems, but not from who I would have thought. His peers are cool with it; it’s the teachers and school officials who are acting like immature classroom bullies.
His family has been here for 8 years. His older brother served in the US Navy in Iraq. He was an honor student in junior high. And yet, a bunch of so-called adults at this high school teased him and made fun of his name, to the point the young man attempted suicide. His family is suing the Board of Education (which I believe is overly broad. I believe they should be suing the individuals who did the tormenting).
What actions should be taken against the individuals at the school, if any? Explain.
What should be done to prevent this type of harassment by adults toward a child?
His family has been here for 8 years. His older brother served in the US Navy in Iraq. He was an honor student in junior high. And yet, a bunch of so-called adults at this high school teased him and made fun of his name, to the point the young man attempted suicide. His family is suing the Board of Education (which I believe is overly broad. I believe they should be suing the individuals who did the tormenting).
QUOTE
Osama said the students at his school did not participate in the tormenting. He said they often sympathized with him over the treatment he was receiving from his teachers, Kirtzman reported.
Meanwhile, school officials and teachers did little or nothing to stop the ostracism, Osama's parents said.
"The students were more understanding than the teachers. The teachers are the ones who called him names — bin Laden, terrorist," Osama's mother, Suad Abuhasna, told Kirtzman. "One of the teachers told him not to bother to come to class because no matter what he did he's not gonna pass'" CBS News
Meanwhile, school officials and teachers did little or nothing to stop the ostracism, Osama's parents said.
"The students were more understanding than the teachers. The teachers are the ones who called him names — bin Laden, terrorist," Osama's mother, Suad Abuhasna, told Kirtzman. "One of the teachers told him not to bother to come to class because no matter what he did he's not gonna pass'" CBS News
QUOTE
After years of being taunted as "bin Laden" and "terrorist" at school, Osama Al-Najjar attempted suicide last July at the age of 15.
<snip>
"They destroyed everything nice in our life with what they did to him," said Suad Abuhasna, Osama's mother, referring to racist abuse she said was heaped on her son while he was a student at Tottenville High School in Staten Island. Reuters
<snip>
"They destroyed everything nice in our life with what they did to him," said Suad Abuhasna, Osama's mother, referring to racist abuse she said was heaped on her son while he was a student at Tottenville High School in Staten Island. Reuters
What actions should be taken against the individuals at the school, if any? Explain.
What should be done to prevent this type of harassment by adults toward a child?
What actions should be taken against the individuals at the school, if any? Explain.
I agree that the ones who called this boy names should be punished. Suspension from their jobs, and then garnishment of their wages to pay for the boy's hospitalization and perhaps tuition cost at the school he has to attend now might be an approach. They also should be required to make a formal apology and attend sensitivity classes.
It's not the boy's fault that he was named Osama.
I do think the school board should not be sued over this, but it is understandable that those responsible for tormenting this boy would be sued.
What should be done to prevent this type of harassment by adults toward a child?
If these "educators" were kids, they would be called bullies. Although I am not sure that something could have been done to prevent this, having the principal lay down the law about calling students names at the beginning of school and providing penalties for such misconduct might be in order.
In the "bad old days" my dad would have dealt with teachers if they had mistreated me in this manner. He might also have been incarcerated after he bloodied a couple of noses.
I agree that the ones who called this boy names should be punished. Suspension from their jobs, and then garnishment of their wages to pay for the boy's hospitalization and perhaps tuition cost at the school he has to attend now might be an approach. They also should be required to make a formal apology and attend sensitivity classes.
It's not the boy's fault that he was named Osama.
I do think the school board should not be sued over this, but it is understandable that those responsible for tormenting this boy would be sued.
What should be done to prevent this type of harassment by adults toward a child?
If these "educators" were kids, they would be called bullies. Although I am not sure that something could have been done to prevent this, having the principal lay down the law about calling students names at the beginning of school and providing penalties for such misconduct might be in order.
In the "bad old days" my dad would have dealt with teachers if they had mistreated me in this manner. He might also have been incarcerated after he bloodied a couple of noses.
QUOTE(DaffyGrl @ Jun 12 2007, 02:34 PM) 
What actions should be taken against the individuals at the school, if any? Explain.
Yeah, so I read about this as a "blurb" in the NY Post on my way to Sudoku the other day and all I could think was, Good Grief what a bunch of idiots! I mean my God, it's not the kid's fault he has a suddenly unpopular name. As for the taunting students - as long as things aren't physical I don't really know what you can do.
Understand I'm a guy. A guy guy. People picked on me, I picked on people. It meant nothing. If it got out of control there was always a way to settle it "behind the gym" so to speak - and we knew if we got caught, we'd get suspended. My perception of getting picked on for you name isn't abstract either... I'm with the kid I know what he's dealing with. However as discussed elsewhere words don't leave marks - so to speak. **The NY Post had the students busting his chops too.
Now the MORON gym teacher... fire him. No tenure, no package - buh bye dipwad.
QUOTE(DaffyGrl @ Jun 12 2007, 02:34 PM)
What should be done to prevent this type of harassment by adults toward a child?
What can you do? Retroactive abortions? I mean people are jerks. You can fire them, arrest them, fine them - they'll still be jerks.
What actions should be taken against the individuals at the school, if any? Explain
Well let's get a clearer picture of culpability here.
Obviously any teachers involved need to be fired immediately unless there are extenuating circumstances.
But what about administrators?
Well, who received complaints and how did they respond? Those who failed to act should be looked at for fine, suspension, or firing too.
Oh it can mean quite a bit. I'm a guy who's always been of the opinion that one's sex or masculinity is no excuse for being an...umm... jerk.
It should never reach the point where violence is used to settle a dispute among children. Not only does it tend to have repercussions down the line it can have some immediate repercussions too. Cue Columbine flashbacks.
..yes, but they can at least be jerks who know there livelihood depends on not letting it show.
Well let's get a clearer picture of culpability here.
Obviously any teachers involved need to be fired immediately unless there are extenuating circumstances.
But what about administrators?
Well, who received complaints and how did they respond? Those who failed to act should be looked at for fine, suspension, or firing too.
QUOTE(turnea)
Understand I'm a guy. A guy guy. People picked on me, I picked on people. It meant nothing.
Oh it can mean quite a bit. I'm a guy who's always been of the opinion that one's sex or masculinity is no excuse for being an...umm... jerk.
It should never reach the point where violence is used to settle a dispute among children. Not only does it tend to have repercussions down the line it can have some immediate repercussions too. Cue Columbine flashbacks.
QUOTE
What can you do? Retroactive abortions? I mean people are jerks. You can fire them, arrest them, fine them - they'll still be jerks.
..yes, but they can at least be jerks who know there livelihood depends on not letting it show.
QUOTE(BaphometsAdvocate)
As for the taunting students - as long as things aren't physical I don't really know what you can do.
From what I've read, it wasn't the students doing the taunting - it was the TEACHERS. To me, that's a whole 'nother level of bullying. It's not like a couple of 15-year olds flailing away behind the gym to settle a dispute. A 15-year old kid whacking a teacher would be 1) unlikely, and 2) ill-advised.
You tend to hear a lot about teachers being afraid of violent or abusive students, but seldom have I ever heard of the opposite occurring, as it has here. These people are supposed to be adults who teach children, not bullies.
What actions should be taken against the individuals at the school, if any? Explain.
They should be fired or suspended or something like that. Being that the principal's response to the harrassment was to inform them that the child should go to an Islamic school, I think a suit against the school board is warranted. The board is ultimately responsible for the actions of the people it hires.
What should be done to prevent this type of harassment by adults toward a child?
That's a difficult question to answer. Bigots will be bigots if they're adults or children.
They should be fired or suspended or something like that. Being that the principal's response to the harrassment was to inform them that the child should go to an Islamic school, I think a suit against the school board is warranted. The board is ultimately responsible for the actions of the people it hires.
What should be done to prevent this type of harassment by adults toward a child?
That's a difficult question to answer. Bigots will be bigots if they're adults or children.
What actions should be taken against the individuals at the school, if any? Explain.
It’s really hard to fire school personnel. As public employees they have procedural rights like other so employed. At the very at least the people involved should be suspended without pay for long enough that it hurts in the back pocket. They should at least receive extensive “sensitivity training” at their own expense. I would say they owe the community, the student and the parents an apology. Yet apologies are becoming virtually meaningless - hollow, if you will. Keep in mind, that administrators - bigger salary, greater responsibility should be be held to a higher level of accountability.
What should be done to prevent this type of harassment by adults toward a child?
That is a good question. After a handful of teachers in my school district had dropped the "N-bomb,” all teachers were required to do “cultural diversity training.” While this is potentially a partial solution, the good folks at the ad building, ”the head shed” as some of us irreverently referred to it, botched the whole thing. People who had done nothing wrong, had to spend one hour six times a year doing this. We should have been paid for those hours. In cases where an individual has messed up it should come out of that person’s time and/or money. In general I frown at group punishment. The second problem with the “diversity training” is that it was scripted from the “head shed” and had to be followed to the letter. Scripted learning and being a captive dampened response. There was no spontaneity; even the presenters who were conducting the “training” looked like they might go to sleep in mid-sentence. The training should have been paid for and the specific workshops developed on the local campus – geared to the needs of the campus.
I did learn something; actually something that I had learned before.
When calling an Asian kid up to the front of the room, do not wiggle the fingers with the palm up. Apparently Asians see this as how someone calls a dog. Turn the palm down and wiggle the fingers.
This type thing is not, in my opinion, an isolated occurrence. In some measure "zero tolerance" has run amuck and led to misuse of misguided authority.
Another member recently accused me of “lacking maturity” because I resent authority. I tried to explain that I don’t resent authority if is exercised in a responsible manner. Clearly the teachers and administrators, ”authority figures” were not exercising authority responsibly. Immaturity is not questioning this type event, but in not questioning it.
Here’s another example from deal ol’ Texas, that place Larry McMurtry describes as a “narrow grave.”
http://www.star-telegram.com/schools/story/123864.html
Holy JC, a cigarette butt under the seat of a car. What absurd nonsense can top this.
It’s really hard to fire school personnel. As public employees they have procedural rights like other so employed. At the very at least the people involved should be suspended without pay for long enough that it hurts in the back pocket. They should at least receive extensive “sensitivity training” at their own expense. I would say they owe the community, the student and the parents an apology. Yet apologies are becoming virtually meaningless - hollow, if you will. Keep in mind, that administrators - bigger salary, greater responsibility should be be held to a higher level of accountability.
What should be done to prevent this type of harassment by adults toward a child?
That is a good question. After a handful of teachers in my school district had dropped the "N-bomb,” all teachers were required to do “cultural diversity training.” While this is potentially a partial solution, the good folks at the ad building, ”the head shed” as some of us irreverently referred to it, botched the whole thing. People who had done nothing wrong, had to spend one hour six times a year doing this. We should have been paid for those hours. In cases where an individual has messed up it should come out of that person’s time and/or money. In general I frown at group punishment. The second problem with the “diversity training” is that it was scripted from the “head shed” and had to be followed to the letter. Scripted learning and being a captive dampened response. There was no spontaneity; even the presenters who were conducting the “training” looked like they might go to sleep in mid-sentence. The training should have been paid for and the specific workshops developed on the local campus – geared to the needs of the campus.
I did learn something; actually something that I had learned before.
When calling an Asian kid up to the front of the room, do not wiggle the fingers with the palm up. Apparently Asians see this as how someone calls a dog. Turn the palm down and wiggle the fingers.
This type thing is not, in my opinion, an isolated occurrence. In some measure "zero tolerance" has run amuck and led to misuse of misguided authority.
Another member recently accused me of “lacking maturity” because I resent authority. I tried to explain that I don’t resent authority if is exercised in a responsible manner. Clearly the teachers and administrators, ”authority figures” were not exercising authority responsibly. Immaturity is not questioning this type event, but in not questioning it.
Here’s another example from deal ol’ Texas, that place Larry McMurtry describes as a “narrow grave.”
QUOTE
A high school student was sent to a disciplinary boot camp school after a cigarette butt was found in her car.
<snip>
Kimberly McLemore of Slaton, near Lubbock, said she received no academic instruction, only exercising, during the day she spent at a boot camp disciplinary alternative school in nearby Plainview.
<snip>
William McLemore said that his daughter doesn't smoke and that the cigarette butt was probably left behind by a relative who had used the car. Kimberly McLemore was ordered to spend 10 days at the boot camp.
"It's like I was in prison or something," she said. "It was horrible."
<snip>
Her father withdrew her from school and began home-schooling her.
The Slaton district, which contracts with the Plainview school district for the boot camp, defends its use as punishment.
<snip>
Kimberly McLemore of Slaton, near Lubbock, said she received no academic instruction, only exercising, during the day she spent at a boot camp disciplinary alternative school in nearby Plainview.
<snip>
William McLemore said that his daughter doesn't smoke and that the cigarette butt was probably left behind by a relative who had used the car. Kimberly McLemore was ordered to spend 10 days at the boot camp.
"It's like I was in prison or something," she said. "It was horrible."
<snip>
Her father withdrew her from school and began home-schooling her.
The Slaton district, which contracts with the Plainview school district for the boot camp, defends its use as punishment.
http://www.star-telegram.com/schools/story/123864.html
Holy JC, a cigarette butt under the seat of a car. What absurd nonsense can top this.
Certainly the names ought to be punished, but seriously, with the US judicial system the way it is, and the want of money from everyone under the sun, the most can be gained if you sue the whole board of education. Suing some flunky high school teachers? The judge would rule in your favor to the tune of $5000 bucks.
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