Assault & Battery Teac;her throws clipboard at student

[concernedteach]

The school where I work is a small, private, parochial school, but licensed by the State of Illinois. There is a teacher on staff who has a history of screaming at students and belittling them. When I say scream, I mean so loud that this teacher can be heard throughout the entire building. This has been going on for years. This teacher pounds the wall and gets right up in the faces of the students and screams at them if they don't have homework or if they do something the teacher doesn't like. The previous principal, who was at this school for many, many years, would just sweep it under the rug and if parents complained, would just make nice with them to make it all go away.
A new principal came this year and she seemed like she would do everything in her power to make this stop. She has talked with this teacher this year about this behavior, but it hasn't seemed to help.
Just a few weeks ago, this teacher screamed at a class, told them how horrible they were and picked unmercifully on one student to the point that she started to cry. This teacher finally got so angry, that this teacher threw a clipboard at one of the students. The student ducked and the clipboard slammed into a project and broke it. Another teacher witnessed this yet wouldn't let the students go tell the principal what happened. Finally, the students made it to another class and told that teacher who had them write it all down and turned it over to the principal.
The teacher who threw the clipboard mysteriously missed 6 days of school and then returned as if nothing happened. The students told another teacher that the Department of Child and Family services showed up at the house of the student who had the clipboard thrown at them to investigate, but the parent knew nothing about it. It seems that the principal didn't even contact said parent.
Now the teacher has returned as if nothing happened and that same child must sit in that teachers class 2 periods a day and for homeroom at the beginning and end of the day. How can this be allowed. Is it ok in the state of Illinois to throw things at students. I assumed that this would have been the end for said teacher. How can this teacher be allowed back in the classroom? Is there anything that can be done to get this teacher out of the room?

 

[Proserpina]

You can't force the school to fire him, if that's what you're asking.

You're not even entitled to know how the teacher is (or is not) disciplined.

(This teacher actually brings back not-so-fond memories of my history teacher in high school - but that was a long time ago, in another country).

And I'm truly not trying to be flippant here, but if the kids don't want to get yelled at....they best behave themselves and get their homework done on time.

 

[concernedteach]

It does seem a bit flippant, so let me expand on the topic. Even if a child does not do their homework, they do not deserve to be screamed at. I know that you are probably thinking this teacher is just raising their voice, but no, it is screaming at the top of their lungs, inches from the face of the child. Beyond that, how can throwing something at a child not be a reason to be fired? We are now allowed to assault children because they make us angry or they didn't do their homework? I thought capital punishment in the state of Illinois was outlawed.
I know that I am not entitled to know how the teacher is or is not disciplined. But shouldn't the teacher be removed from the classroom and placed in another position away from students? I can't imagine how the child who had the clipboard thrown at them, feels. And I know this class, they are sweet children and no other teacher has ever had any problems with them at all.

 

[army judge]

Parents can hold a meeting, agree to remove ALL the children from this maniac's classes.
The group of parents (en masse or by committee) meet with the principal, issue their demands to withdraw their children from ALL of the maniac's classes. If satisfaction isn't derived, meet with the superintendent, and/or the school board.

Take the issue to ALL news media outlets, and ask them to investigate and report.

No need to ask for the maniac to be fired, if you're successful removing your children, one follows the other.

Teacher bullying is now said to be looming as a new problem.

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/teachers-who-bully

Some are said to take it TOO far.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...upil-online-video-put-leave-article-1.1550914

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/west-union-oh/T9I1J5E0727PS2VEI

It is happening. It shouldn't be happening.

http://www.educator-resources.com/p...tm_source=plus.google.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

[Proserpina]

It does seem a bit flippant, so let me expand on the topic. Even if a child does not do their homework, they do not deserve to be screamed at. I know that you are probably thinking this teacher is just raising their voice, but no, it is screaming at the top of their lungs, inches from the face of the child. Beyond that, how can throwing something at a child not be a reason to be fired? We are now allowed to assault children because they make us angry or they didn't do their homework? I thought capital punishment in the state of Illinois was outlawed.
I know that I am not entitled to know how the teacher is or is not disciplined. But shouldn't the teacher be removed from the classroom and placed in another position away from students? I can't imagine how the child who had the clipboard thrown at them, feels. And I know this class, they are sweet children and no other teacher has ever had any problems with them at all.

I'm fairly certain you don't actually mean "capital punishment".

Hyperbole aside, yelling at the kids isn't illegal. Is it fair? Perhaps, perhaps not. Is it effective? Depends.

I do have a further question though. We must concede that because we were not present, all we have is one - perhaps accurate, perhaps not - account of what actually happened. I'm wondering why the police were not called because of this alleged abuse.

Any idea?

For what its worth, I believe the most likely outcome will be that the parents get branded "unreasonable" and "satellite parents" and the matter will be down-played until it becomes little more than a frustrated teacher who is dealing with unruly children.

Is that fair? Not really.

Is it legal? Alas yes.

Further, I'd also expect that when it comes down to the wire, the parents of the allegedly assaulted student will find themselves fighting with nobody on their side. Parents tend to fear the consequences of getting together against a particular teacher.

I'd doubt heavily that the media will even pick up the phone for this one, if only because there's no proof and apparently nobody contacted the police to make a report.

 

[cbg]

Whether a student deserves to be screamed at or not is not a relevant factor to the legalities. It may be completely undeserved, but that does not make it illegal.