This sounds like serious overreaction to me.
1) He's a kindergartener, and she's a grownup woman. If she honestly felt physically threatened by a six-year-old's actions (whether it was a tantrum, or he just didn't know how else to get her attention), she shouldn't be teaching.
2) Most NT kindergarteners don't fully understand the actions-consequences link, or that kicking/hitting someone can hurt. An autistic kid might be even less likely to understand. Again, if the teacher doesn't realize that, she shouldn't be teaching.
I do have to wonder if the class/school might be overreacting on purpose....if they don't really want to deal with this student and are abusing the zero-tolerance policy towards that end.
Hopefully a judge with some sense will dismiss this case.
I'm furious. How can a law allegedly devised to prevent school massacres be applied to any six-year-old? Even in previous centuries no-one under 8, later 10, was considered to have been taught enough to distinguish 'right' from 'wrong'.
What sort of teacher takes their six-year-old student to court?
If I were assaulted by a six-year-old in my charge I would accept full responsibility for not dealing with the issues before they got to the point where the child had a melt-down.
This stinks to high heaven.
Thank God I'm not in the USA.
hes a minor poeple.
may be the pulling on her shirt was he wanted her attention.though this is thrid or forth hand sorce so i wont judge.
This is very sickening.
Tim
Almost never. Especially not in the case of a six year old having a tantrum. It's a tantrum, for goodness sakes--not a murder attempt! The autism isn't even relevant to the case; a typical six year old could have acted the same way. All she's doing is torturing his parents!
I think the teacher needs to get herself a different job. Preferably away from other human beings, especially small, vulnerable ones.
The woman that laid this charge shouldn't be a teacher. That's the bottom line for me.
You can't charge somebody with assault and have it stick unless they actually cause injury (or unless you have a really good lawyer)... a lot of bullies know how to hurt in ways that won't show up.
But there's a difference between a six year old's tantrum and a twelve-year-old's punching another kid in the stomach while his friend holds him down (for example... among many other things...)
Ah, "vexatious litigation" only applies to civil litigation, the proceding in this case is criminal charges.
There's another phrase for it in criminal proceedings. I'm not sure what it is, but I know it exists.
I got this in my mail:
Hello everyone,
As some of you have heard by now, the charges against Nathan Darnell, a six-year old autistic student in Kentucky, have been dropped. I'd like to thank everyone who wrote and called to the Bracken County School system in order to see this happen. Our call to action reached across the world, with people calling and e-mailing from as far away as Europe as well as throughout the United States. We should all be very proud of our work here. As a reminder, if any of you are faced with or hear about another incident requiring group advocacy, please feel free to e-mail me at aneeman@autisticadv ocacy.org or the Autistic Self Advocacy Network at info@autisticadvoca cy.org. By standing together, our community is strengthened.
Regards,
Ari Ne'eman
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network, President
http://www.autisticadvocacy. org
info@autisticadvocacy.org
I got this in my mail:
Hello everyone,
As some of you have heard by now, the charges against Nathan Darnell, a six-year old autistic student in Kentucky, have been dropped. I'd like to thank everyone who wrote and called to the Bracken County School system in order to see this happen. Our call to action reached across the world, with people calling and e-mailing from as far away as Europe as well as throughout the United States. We should all be very proud of our work here. As a reminder, if any of you are faced with or hear about another incident requiring group advocacy, please feel free to e-mail me at aneeman@autisticadv ocacy.org or the Autistic Self Advocacy Network at info@autisticadvoca cy.org. By standing together, our community is strengthened.
Regards,
Ari Ne'eman
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network, President
http://www.autisticadvocacy. org
info@autisticadvocacy.org
What a relief. I still cannot believe that it went as far as it did, though.The teacher should have had a private word with the parents just to inform them of the incident without apportioning blame and asked them for help in identifying likely triggers for frustrated behaviour so that those triggers could be avoided or mitigated against.
Good for you, Alison!
*Applause*
We need more of your ilk in the education system!
I would hope that now this whole thing has been quashed that the teacher concerned gets suspended at the very least.
Like others have said, the kid was *** six! I don't think teachers should have to put up with the crap they do, god knows I used to drive my math teacher up the wall, along with the rest of the class, but autie, aspie, NT or anything inbetween, six year olds aren't exactly known for their patience and well-thought out concepts of cause and effect, *** happens, if you can't deal with it, don't become a teacher with the expectation it won't happen.
Alison, that rocks, what sort of courses did you have to take to get that sort of job, as I wouldn't half mind it myself actually.
I hope all goes well for you.