My son is ten years old and was goofing around in music class Monday
He admitted to me that he was warned by the music teacher to knock
it off. But things got out of hand and towards the end of the class the
kids were lined up & Timmy still was not singing the song properly so
the teacher lost her temper and the smacked him across the face.
The next day, I called and spoke to the vice-principal who assured me
that she would speak to the teacher and 1 student witness who saw what happened. She phoned me back within 30 minutes and told me
that everything had been sorted out and the teacher apologised.
But they are playing mind games the teacher asked "Do you think that
I slapped you?" and my son told her yes you did hit me. But the principal is trying to sweep this under the rug and act like it's not a big deal but my son is troubled. He had a bed wetting accident and that hasn't happened since first grade so I know it's bothering him
I have phoned SIU and each time tell my story and get told that I need
to call another number. Finally got fed up and called Broward county
Bar Association for a lawyer which cost $50.00 just to give me one
number of one lawyer who specializes in this type of litigation.
I'm so frustrated right now and need some help or advice. Thanks

Bring that shit to the news media. I work in schools myself, that is mad inappropriate and I am under the impression that if a teacher assaulted a student ("slapping" is considered a form of assault, it would have been different if she had just tapped him on the shoulder) they would be stripped of his or her license. If the school will not be culpable for this inappropriateness on the side of the teacher then I would resort to some drastic measures. Of course I would probably consult a lawyer first before doing this, but that is really fucked up.

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We're about to enter a whole other realm of music...we're talking Beethoven, Bob Marley, Men at Work territory

principal is trying to sweep it because she knows it mean big trouble if you brought it out into the public and that you actually have a chance.
Please talk to a lawyer because this woman could lose her temper again and hit another child. In the mean time talk to your son about what is troubling him and address the class behavioural issues he's having (surely he must have been pretty bad to tick a teacher off like that??????????? but at the same time reassure him that the slapping was NOT his fault and that she was in the wrong, misbehaviour is wrong whether you are teacher or student).

Public or Private School??

I don't know the FL laws, but in CA, corporal punishment is illegal. Not only is that inappropriate, it's illegal and that teacher could be arrested for assault/battery.

Of COURSE they're trying to sweep the matter under the rug! What happened is a major lawsuit waiting to happen, and the fact that they (via the teacher) apologized was an admission of liability/guilt.

First though, was this a private or public school?

Slapping by a teacher is completely unacceptable.

I am going to go way out there to the side and say personally, I think litigation is way too extreme a response. Someone who has taught for years should not be sacked/financially ruined for slapping a child. If she had endangered his life- like hit him over the head with a chair or something, that would be a case for suing because if her license isn't revoked, she could kill another child. But to be honest, I have plenty of times been driven to the end of my tether by children and I hardly ever work with them. Ask the school if the teacher has any history of hitting children before, and demand that a formal note on her record be made of this. And tell your son not to act up. Personally I think it is a good idea for children to realise they can't keep pushing people indefinitely. If he was acting up that much in a situation outside of school, he could end up with some psycho adult doing him some serious damage.

If your son is bedwetting again, it is probably not the fear of being hit again, its the shock of realising that not everyone loves him unconditionally- which is a lesson everyone has to learn at some point. If you think about it, pretty much every generation of children apart from ours were corporally punished in school and they didn't grow up to be psychologically scarred adults. I was smacked plenty as a child by my parents/ grandparents/ nannies when I played up and I don't think it would have been any more upsetting if parents were involved.

As soon as I saw the thread title, I was pretty sure this teacher was a woman. They're too emotional and unstable to be teaching children.

While it's unrealistic to forbid women from teaching, I would, at very least, like to see them out of the elementary schools.

My sons mother thinks I'm crazy, but I insist on male teachers only. At least until high school. If there are no male teachers for a specific grade, we change schools. So far we've only had to do this once.

While safety is my primary concern, I also feel that male teachers are better role models. If a student looks up to and respects a teacher, they're more willing to buckle down and do their best work.

And men are more focused on things I feel are important like math and science. Women are fickle and too easily led by the latest trends and feel good teaching.

Is fuck me fred an alias? Are you for real?

If anything, women teachers are BETTER in elementary school because they are better at nurturing. They do the whole mommy thing when a kid scrapes his knee or falls off the swings.

I agree. the teacher was wrong but how abotu holding off the litigation. fucking hell man, the slappin was just absolutely wrong but what is it with you americans that are litigation happy?

definately pursue the teacher through the proper channels - such as the teacher's board, like insomnia had. make sure the teacher has to go through some sort of extra training on how to handle kids playing up and proper non-physical discipline. but suing is wasting the court's time unlses your son has had physical distress.

in the mean time you also need to start policing how your kid behaves. yes he's a boy but he also needs to learn behaviour.

Any teacher who puts a hand on a child in any way whatsoever should be fired immediately. Teachers are not allowed to do that. I don't think you should have to hire a lawyer though. I wouldn't go that route. If I were you I would call the board of education, superintendent's office or whatever higher office governs the school. I would also go to the news media. Maybe even the police for assaulting your son. I wouldn't pay any money to lawyers.

I think it's also really important to say again that you should talk to your son about his behavioral problems. Why is he acting up in school? And I don't mean like being talkative or a little energetic, but disruptive? I do think this teacher should be fired, most definitely, and if the proper channels don't make sure that happens, then hire a lawyer.

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i agree.

i think the most appropriate next step would be contacting the school board. see that this teacher is in some way held accountable for her actions. be persistent and work your way through whatever systems govern the school and your district until you're satisfied with the response.

That is terrible. I was smacked on a daily basis by the first schoolteacher i ever had and it made me hate school and authority figures for life. I wish I'd told my mother but i was only five and the psycho teacher emotionally blackmailed me, the fucking bitch.

In any case, I think you need to make a big deal of this, it's absolutely shocking. I don't know about suing her or whatever you do in america, but either way i think she needs to lose her job.

this is a joke, right?

at the same school i mentioned in my previous post, there was a male teacher who had such a loose hold on his temper that he would put students behind classroom doors and force the door against the wall. i heard about many other atrocities but luckily i was never in his class. no one ever said anything to management about it. but a student "accidentally" ran into him with a car so he had to retire. EVERYONE was happy about it. except him of course.

call 211.
maybe they can make a more direct connect.

fuck that apology.
i would have her arrested.

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you should sue the pants of her + school. or at least threaten it every day until you get what you want.

this is the US; i'd sue if a waiter brought me cold soup.

PS, throwing emotional distress into the suit might get you that trip to the caribbean you've been wanting to take.

i'd fucking freak if a teacher even thought about slapping my son.

don't let this rest, she's in the wrong and has no business touching a student.

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It's completely possible that there is absolutely nothing in between suing - or at least threatening to sue - and doing nothing. The school adminstration might even need the parent to commence legal action for them to do much without getting slapped by the Teacher's Union. At the very least, I would think you need a lawyer just to have someone on your side who understands the system.

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seeing as a crime has been committed why not call the police, make a formal complaint of assault. that's probably the best way to get action from the school. plus it's free