WOW! The most shocking linked article is the kids who got arrested for waiting for the bus. They were excepted to plea bargain. That's right, the charges weren't dropped!!!!!!
edit the DA dismissed the charges but the police chief thinks the arrest was justified.
Obey the cop and get suspended... or obey the teacher and go to jail.
Just leaving these kids in no-win situations. SOMEONE has to be willing to listen and hear the kids out.
Either the cop has to hear them out, and then say "OK, well I'll just keep an eye on you until your teacher comes."
Or the teacher has to hear them out, and then say "Well, OK, it was my fault for telling you guys to stand there so I'm not going to suspend anyone this time."
But you can't put kids in a situation like that and then say... "It's YOUR fault!"
That's insanity. This wasn't ANY of these kids' fault.
Did you see the interview with the coach? He showed up, identified himself, said these kids were in the right place and they were going to a basketball game all while speaking very respecfully and the cops said if he didn't leave the coach was going to jail too! Apparently being out in public is illegal.
They were going to a basketball game not school so they probably wouldn't get suspended but they were expected to be there. Plus they wanted to be there. It was according to the coach the normal place they caught the bus for games.
Oh... I didn't know that the coach had tried to speak with the cop.
Yeah... I guess that makes it a little worse for the cops.
My only point was that this is a problem that should have been settled between the teacher(s) and the cop(s). They should have communicated better. Now if the teacher TRIED to communicate and the cop ignored him... yeah... that's a problem too.
I mean, adults need to work together to solve problems where children are concerned... not get in pissing contests to see who's is bigger. This is an issue where, I would think, it's obvious that the schools and the police should be communicating about what's going to happen with respect to transportation.
But you can't set up transportation. Communicate the arrangements to parents and students. Then show up and arrest all of the students for following your instructions. That's just a poorly run school district AND police department really. Actually... probably more a poorly run city.
And to arrest the kids because of the bumbling ineptitude of all of the adults involved in the incident is unforgivable. People should be fired for that. Anyone who plays CYA by trying to pin his ineptitude on children should be out of a job.
Incidentally... you do get suspended for some number of games for missing practice or a game. At least, those were the rules in my day. And that's how most teams are run at the school I work with. Basketball, Volleyball, Football or whatever.
"A 6-year-old was suspended from school in Canon City, Colo., after kissing a girl on her hand. School officials said the smooch was sexual harassment"
edit the DA dismissed the charges but the police chief thinks the arrest was justified.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/04/charges...
Interview with the coach (he seems like a really nice guy):
http://www.infowars.com/kids-arrested-waiting-for-school-bus...