01-20-2007, 12:29 PM
01-21-2007, 10:51 PM
The Garrett case is local news for me, and this is the latest ridiculous thing in the whole mess. Having these children in court will only make this more of a media circus than it already is.
I find the lawyer's statements about the jury "needing to see the kind of kids she taught" very disturbing. What, if they're severely impaired, it would have made it okay to use physical violence against them? Teachers do have the right to physically restrain a student who's trying to hurt themselves or someone else, and anyone on a school campus does have the right to defend themselves in case of physical attack....but that's light-years away from the acts this woman is accused of.
Garrett was moved around the district for years, and complaints against her happened at school after school, and no one paid much attention. The folks that looked the other way ought to be facing charges too, in my opinion.
Did she do it? She's innocent till proven guilty, of course, but with the long history of complaints and the way the witnesses' stories go together, I think she did something wrong to these kids.
However, unless the aides they're calling as witnesses are very convincing, I have a bad feeling she's going to be acquitted.
I find the lawyer's statements about the jury "needing to see the kind of kids she taught" very disturbing. What, if they're severely impaired, it would have made it okay to use physical violence against them? Teachers do have the right to physically restrain a student who's trying to hurt themselves or someone else, and anyone on a school campus does have the right to defend themselves in case of physical attack....but that's light-years away from the acts this woman is accused of.
Garrett was moved around the district for years, and complaints against her happened at school after school, and no one paid much attention. The folks that looked the other way ought to be facing charges too, in my opinion.
Did she do it? She's innocent till proven guilty, of course, but with the long history of complaints and the way the witnesses' stories go together, I think she did something wrong to these kids.
However, unless the aides they're calling as witnesses are very convincing, I have a bad feeling she's going to be acquitted.
01-22-2007, 03:32 PM
This woman looks very nasty.
01-26-2007, 06:32 PM
The children in this case ended up not having to appear in court.
The verdict will probably be decided today:
http://www.wftv.com/news/10843364/detail.htm
More about the precise details of the trial (some of it disturbing):
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orl-...-headlines
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orl-...-headlines
I'm wondering if the woman was originally trained as an old-school behaviorist. She started teaching in the late 70's, when it was an accepted part of behavior mod to hit and confine autistic kids. Hardly an excuse if she did it, but it would be interesting to know.
The verdict will probably be decided today:
http://www.wftv.com/news/10843364/detail.htm
More about the precise details of the trial (some of it disturbing):
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orl-...-headlines
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orl-...-headlines
I'm wondering if the woman was originally trained as an old-school behaviorist. She started teaching in the late 70's, when it was an accepted part of behavior mod to hit and confine autistic kids. Hardly an excuse if she did it, but it would be interesting to know.
01-27-2007, 06:55 PM
Yesterday Kathleen Garrett was found guilty of one of the abuse charges against her. She faces up to 5 years in prison:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/loca...-headlines
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/loca...-headlines
01-28-2007, 11:20 AM
Up to 5 years could be even just a few months. This verdict is a complete joke! She should be put away for AT LEAST five years.