Drop charges against transgender teen defending herself!

Daniel J. Cabral

Petitioning Daniel J. Cabral, Senior Deputy District Attorney
Mark Peterson, District Attorney
Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office

Drop charges against transgender teen defending herself!
Petition by Valerie Poquiz
Hercules, CA

My sister, Jewlyes Gutierrez, is a 16 year old teenager, who identifies as a transgender female. Her gender identity has caused her to be a victim of taunting, harassment, and bullying by her peers. On November 13, 2013, Jewlyes defended herself against three girls who were tormenting and then physically attacked her. This was captured on video and you can see Jewlyes trying to run away. The students involved were suspended but to our disbelief, District Attorney Daniel Cabral then filed charges against Jewlyes for battery - she's the only one charged.

Jewlyes should not be charged criminally. Rather, this altercation should be the responsibility of the school district, who should take proper action and implement the necessary resources to prevent incidents like these from happening again.

One of the girls who attacked Jewlyes had repeated bullied her - even spitting gum in her face. Jewlyes sought help from the assistant principal in fear of her physical safety but the issue was not properly addressed, no necessary action was taken by the administration. The bullying continued.

Jewlyes attends Hercules High School in Hercules, CA - part of the Contra Costa Unified School District. Even the school district president disagrees with the charges being brought against Jewlyes: "This is just a young child who is 16-years-old, already going through a lot of stress," he said. "This is a remedy? Is this the way we want to deal with children?"

Violence towards transgender and queer youth is a serious problem. Recently in Oakland, CA, a transgender teen was lit on fire. What message is the District Attorney's Office sending when they prosecute a transgender teen who school officials labeled as the victim in this incident?

Sign this petition and tell District Attorney we are outraged by the decision to charge Jewlyes and that we hope he will use his discretion to allow for a restorative and educational solution rather than the court system to deal with what happened at Hercules High School.

Please tell the District Attorneys Office that we want our tax dollars spent on teaching tolerance and on conflict resolution programs in schools, not on prosecuting youth who are in need of a safe learning environment.

Inside a School Where Teachers Pack Heat

Jonesboro superintendent packing heat?

Inside a School Where Teachers Pack Heat
A year after Newtown, schools still debate whether guns in the classroom make kids safer.
By Nicholas Kusnetz
Center for Public Integrity
Dec. 16, 2013

It wasn't quite cold enough to need a vest on a recent Texas morning, but Matt Dossey was wearing one anyway. Made of heavy canvas, the vest might have concealed a pistol. There was no way to tell. Perhaps that was the point.

Dossey is superintendent at Jonesboro Independent School District, which serves a tiny community in the rolling Texas scrubland north of Austin. In January, the district decided to arm a select group of staffers with concealed weapons.

Jonesboro straddles the border between Coryell and Hamilton counties; it's more than 15 miles to the nearest sheriff's department. The town is unincorporated, and has no government or police. If someone were to attack the school, Dossey said, no one's coming to protect the kids—not quickly, anyway.

Dossey was standing inside the school cafeteria, where students motored around a room decorated with harvest-themed paper cutouts. The district was hosting a pre-holiday Thanksgiving dinner, when parents join kids for a school lunch of turkey and stuffing. Looking around the room, Dossey, who hadn't taken off his vest, said the new policy adds a layer of security that most everyone in town is happy with.

"If somebody walked in that door and opened fire," he said, "we would have a chance."

Ever since Adam Lanza killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, last December, school districts and state governments have searched for better ways to protect students. Lawmakers introduced hundreds of school safety bills. Many called for arming more security guards or for arming teachers. Others went the opposite direction, tightening gun laws.

In Monroe, Connecticut, just nine miles from Sandy Hook, residents supported a range of expensive measures. The town, which spreads out from a village green between two white-steepled churches, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars upgrading buildings and hiring school resource officers, town cops who are posted at schools. The move is largely in step with what happened statewide. Lawmakers passed sweeping legislation in April that included gun controls, such as expanded background checks and mandates for school security. The Legislature also funded millions of dollars in infrastructure grants and tightened state law covering guns in school so that only active or retired law enforcement officers can serve as armed guards.

"I don't believe a teacher would just kill a kid right there. I've walked up in front of a kid who had a gun. I know how it feels."

Texas, on the other hand, has not appropriated money to school security and is not creating mandates. Jonesboro is one of about 70 districts to arm staff since Sandy Hook. This year, the Legislature encouraged more to do the same, passing a bill that created a state-run training program that will allow districts to designate staff as "school marshals," an entirely new class of law enforcement (districts must pay the costs).

At first glance, the disparate approaches appear simply to reflect a stereotypical divide between two regions of America with their own closely held views of guns and their place in daily life. But a closer look shows that what's happened in Jonesboro and Monroe also reflects a broader set of beliefs about the role of government, about local control, and perhaps most importantly, about taxes...

San Diego Diocese punishes teacher and her kids for being victims of domestic violence

These parents support the decision to throw out a teacher and her children who were victims of domestic violence from Holy Trinity School.

I understand that the parents at Holy Trinity school might be frightened; school violence in the news in recent years has made a lot of people terrified, if not a bit paranoid. But I think parents and school officials reacted in a mean-spirited and ineffective manner when teacher Carie Charlesworth's husband demonstrated what school officials called "threatening and menacing behavior" at the school.

Perhaps he said something that made people uncomfortable. Or maybe just the fact that he was there was perceived as a threat. So the school fired his wife and expelled his children.

Of course, there's no guarantee that he won't come to the school in the future; he could become angry that his children were expelled and his wife was fired.

I think the Church abandoned its basic principles far too quickly in this case. If there really is a danger from Charlesworth's husband, then why doesn't the Diocese do something about that, rather than force public schools to deal with it?

As a nation, we have always had to balance safety and freedom. We chose to take a different road from Saudi Arabia and Singapore.

I have an answer for a diocese that arrogantly challenges critics with the unspoken question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" The answer is YES.





(Click on image to enlarge.)

Domestic Violence Victim Fired From Teaching Sues Diocese of San Diego (VIDEO)
"They should not treat people like this," said domestic violence victim Carie Charlesworth
By Steven Luke
NBC News
Sep 3, 2013

A domestic violence victim fired from her East County teaching job is now suing her former employer, the Catholic Diocese of San Diego. NBC 7's Steven Luke reports.

A woman who was fired from her teaching job after a domestic violence incident involving her ex-husband has filed a lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of San Diego.

Carie Charlesworth was told to leave her second grade teaching position at Holy Trinity Catholic School in El Cajon earlier this year after her husband demonstrated "threatening and menacing behavior” on school grounds. Tuesday afternoon, she filed a lawsuit in San Diego’s downtown superior court.

“I want to accomplish change, I want them to know they should not treat people like this,” Charlesworth said.

The single mother of four children became the source of intense social and moral debate in June when NBC 7 San Diego first reported her situation. Dozens of parents at Holy Trinity School came forward to show their support of the school, which they say put safety as a first priority. Advocates for domestic violence victims said the firing marked a significant step back in the ongoing fight to empower victims to speak up.

The suit names the Roman Catholic Bishop of San Diego as a defendant along with several people holding prominent positions within the diocese. NBC 7’s phone calls and emails to the defendants were not returned.

Fighting the Catholic Church on employment disputes is historically an uphill battle. As a religious institution they have more legal latitude, discretion and protection in firing employees.

“My contract with the diocese held me to a standard they didn’t uphold themselves” said Charlesworth.

Earlier this year, Charlesworth traveled to Sacramento to fight for Senate Bill 400, which would not only prevent employers from firing victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, but also require companies to make efforts to protect them.

Charlesworth’s attorney says his lawsuit is based on the district’s own contract with teachers, which requires them to follow the precepts of the Catholic Church.

“When there was a speculative danger to the school community, the church’s doctrine says ‘We need to pull together, we need to protect the school and Carie and her children.’” said attorney Ken Hoy. “To do less is to breach some of the most important Catholic principles that exist.”

Charlesworth’s four children are also named as plaintiffs because they were expelled from the school last spring as a result of growing concern about their father’s erratic behavior.

“They still were following the rules of the school, they were good students, good kids, they had no reason to be expelled from a school” said Charlesworth.

The complaint also seeks damages for negligence, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and defamation.

Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Former-Teacher-Sues-Catholic-Diocese-of-San-Diego-222270071.html#ixzz2dxm07WtL




Carie Charlesworth is fired because of “threat” from abusive ex-husband
by adrakontaidis
Real Talk Real Debate
June 15, 2013

Carie Charlesworth, a veteran teacher of 14 years, was fired from Holy Trinity School in El Cajon (a San Diego county) because of her ex-husband’s actions. Carie’s ex-husband, Martin, is currently in jail for violating his restraining order. In January, Martin showed up at the school and was promptly arrested. Shortly thereafter, Carie was placed on “indefinite leave” and her four children were removed from the school. Carie was recently told she was being let go of her job because of the “threat” her ex posed to her and the school children.

The diocese’s director of schools wrote: “Please understand that this was a very difficult decision to make, and we are deeply, deeply sorry about this situation. We will continue to pray for you and your family.” Carie says she and her children are being punished for her ex-husband’s actions. She is unsure of how she will support her children. After all it isn’t all that easy to get a job nowadays.

Martin will be released from jail on June 28th. Carie said she was frightened of his January appearance because they had two prior arguments before that forced meeting. Carie said that Martin has ruined her life. She did everything they tell abuse victims to do. Carie states her situation is exactly why more woman don’t come forward of their abuse.

The diocese thinks they are doing what is in the best interest of the other children attending the school. Their lawyers uncovered a 20+ year history of domestic violence towards others—especially towards women. Furthermore, Holy Trinity teachers are only signed on one-year contracts and can be let go for any reason. The technical terms of her contract allow for the legality of her firing.

I’m outraged that a precedent has been created in which abuse victims are continued to be tortured by their abusers. Why should this man be legally allowed to dictate this woman’s life? At which point did this woman forsake her rights? Her life? At which did her children forsake a normal childhood?

The diocese has every right and responsibility to protect the other students of the school; but doesn’t it also have the responsibility to Carie, a 14-year veteran of the school. I understand this is a precarious situation and a difficult one for the school to handle. However, I feel like they basically have cut all ties to her and have essentially told her “I hope you are okay but we’ve officially stopped caring and by the way good luck out there with your psycho ex-husband.

Another aspect of the story that infuriates me to no end is the fact this “man” somehow can continue to abuse others for over two decades yet gets a “slap of the wrist” in his sentencing. He abuses his wife and gets less than a year in jail. Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich got 14 years for trying to sell a U.S. Senate seat. Explain that one to me.

Couldn’t there be a police presence at the school? If this guy comes again to school he should be arrested indefinitely. Granted I think he should have already been imprisoned indefinitely. As I stated earlier, I think this creates a dangerous precedent that abuse victims will be less forward in revealing their plights. Additionally, the legal system should not allow the abuser to continue to dictate the lives of victims. It’s simply deplorable.

What do you think?

Email: realtalkdebate2012@gmail.com
Twitter: @adrakontaidis & @talkrealdebate




San Diego Domestic Violence Victim Fired From Teaching
Second grade teacher Carie Charlesworth was fired after a domestic violence dispute involving her ex-husband
By Steven Luke
NBC 7
Jun 13, 2013

A San Diego teacher was fired by Holy Trinity School following a domestic violence incident involving her ex-husband.

Second-grade teacher Carie Charlesworth is out of a job, but not for anything she did in the classroom. Her school district considers her a liability and too unsafe to have around following a domestic violence dispute that happened earlier this year.

A letter sent to Charlesworth said that school officials are concerned about her ex-husband's "threatening and menacing behavior," and as a result they "cannot allow" her to continue teaching at the Holy Trinity School.

"They’ve taken away my ability to care for my kids,” said Charlesworth. “It’s not like I can go out and find a teaching job anywhere.”

The mother of four children didn’t think this would ever be her story to tell, but she is using her name and showing her face in hopes of bringing attention to a larger problem.

It’s a story that has domestic violence advocates outraged, fearing it will only reinforce an age-old problem where victims stay silent — but equally concerned are the school's parents, not wanting their kids in the middle of it.

“Basically, we’d had a very bad weekend with him, we’d called the sheriff’s department three times on Sunday with him,” said Charlesworth, referring to an incident in January that put her leave of absence in motion.

She went to her principal at Holy Trinity School in El Cajon the following morning and told the principal to be on the lookout for her ex-husband. As many domestic violence cases go, this one has a trail of restraining orders and 911 calls. When Charlesworth’s ex-husband showed up in the school parking lot, the school went into lockdown.

Charlesworth and her four kids, who also attended Holy Trinity School, have not been back since the January incident. A letter was sent home to parents the following day, explaining the situation and noting Charlesworth and her children were being put "on an indefinite leave.”

While Charlesworth’s husband went to jail on two felony charges, she says she felt like a criminal too.

“And that’s what it felt like, the kids and I were being punished for something we didn’t even do,” she told NBC 7 San Diego.

Three months later, another letter arrived in the mail delivering a crushing blow. Charlesworth was fired for good, and after 14 years in the district not allowed to teach at any other Diocesan school.

The letter stated:

"We know from the most recent incident involving you and Mrs. Wright (the principal) while you were still physically at Holy Trinity School, that the temporary restraining order in effect were not a deterrent to him. Although we understand he is current incarcerated, we have no way of knowing how long or short a time he will actually serve and we understand from court files that he may be released as early as next fall. In the interest of the safety of the students, faculty and parents at Holy Trinity School, we simply cannot allow you to return to work there, or, unfortunately, at any other school in the Diocese."

When asked for a response, Tom Beecher, Director of the San Diego Diocese Office for Schools wrote in an email to NBC 7 San Diego: “The diocese does not make public comment about personnel issues.”

Several parents at Holy Trinity, not disclosing their names out of safety concerns, said the district did the right thing in a no-win situation because they feared for the safety of their own children. Several parents mentioned being part of a movement to “pull kids out of the school” if Charlesworth returned.

“I mean that’s why women of domestic violence don’t come forward, because they’re afraid of the way people are going to see them, view them, perceive them, treat them,” said Charlesworth.

A 2011 study by Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center shows Charlesworth isn’t alone: Nearly 40 percent of survivors in California reported being fired or feared termination because of domestic violence.

Charlesworth’s attorney Kenneth Hoyt, who intends to file a lawsuit on her behalf, said it may be an uphill climb because of something called "Ministerial Exception.” As part of her duties Charlesworth taught religion, and even though it was a small part of her daily lesson plan, there's legal precedence showing she can be fired without cause just like a priest or pastor.

“I have not been back to a Catholic church since this happened” said Charlesworth, who admits her life has been turned upside down because “everything I thought I had, I don’t.”

She is being paid through August, but doesn’t know where she’ll turn next. Her ex-husband is scheduled to be released from Jail at the end of June.

Murder plot allegation against fifth-graders stuns Washington town

I am nonplussed, just like prosecutor Timothy Rasmussen and, I'm sure, the parents of the two boys in the story below. (I just looked up the meaning of the word "nonplussed", which I never quite managed to figure out. It turns out that the word has a standard meaning synonymous with "perplexed" and "confused"--that's the meaning I intend here. It comes from the French "no more", used when a person runs out of arguments and gives up. But the word is frequently misused to mean "unfazed", hence my confusion.)

A teacher with a gun would have been no help at all in this case. And as my prior post shows, some teachers have very bad judgment, and can not be trusted with guns.

It seems to me we need better mental health care for everybody in school: students, parents and staff members.

Murder plot allegation against fifth-graders stuns Washington town
Two fifth-graders in Colville, Wash., may be charged with conspiracy to commit murder after a knife and gun are found in a backpack at school.
By Kim Murphy
Los Angeles Times
February 14, 2013

SEATTLE — In what has become a chillingly familiar event across the country, school authorities in eastern Washington recently discovered a gun and a knife in the backpack of a student. But what stunned the small town of Colville was whom the backpack belonged to: a 10-year-old student at Fort Colville Elementary School.

School authorities said two fifth-grade boys planned to use the weapons to lure another student outside the school and kill her "because she was really annoying."

The boys last week confessed to plans to harm an additional six students at the school.

"This was a plan. And it was a plan to kill," Stevens County prosecuting attorney Timothy Rasmussen said Thursday.

Rasmussen said he would argue that the 10-year-old and his 11-year-old codefendant be held criminally responsible on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and witness tampering — a charge filed after authorities said the boys promised to pay $80 to a student if he agreed not to tell anyone about the plot.

According to a court affidavit made public this week, the incident came to light shortly before 8 a.m. on Feb. 7, when a fourth-grader told a teacher he had seen an 11-year-old boy with a knife.

The teacher searched that boy's backpack and that of his 10-year-old friend and found the weapons in the friend's backpack. They included a knife with a 3¼-inch blade, a .45-caliber Remington 1911 semiautomatic handgun and an ammunition clip.

"My background is a high school counselor and psychologist, and quite frankly, in 30-plus years, I never heard of anything like this at this age level," said Colville School Supt. Mike Cashion.

Rasmussen was also nonplussed.

"To me, 10- and 11-year-olds do bad things," he said. "They throw rocks through windows. They shoot BB guns at people's cars. They hit people with sticks, they set a cat on fire. Those are things that children do. But this was a plot to kill."

When questioned separately shortly after the weapons were discovered, the boys admitted their plot, authorities said. "I was going to kill her with the knife and [the other boy] was supposed to use the gun to keep anyone from trying to stop me or mess up our plan," the older boy told detectives.

When shown a class list, the boy identified six other classmates who were targeted.

The older boy said he had been friends with the girl for several months "but that he hated her now." He said the girl "had recently become rude and would pick on him."

"The plan was nipped in the bud by other students who saw something and said something," Cashion said, adding that the school had been promoting a program that encourages students to report suspicious things.

Rasmussen said students younger than 8 were considered incapable of committing criminal acts in Washington state. For children between the ages of 8 and 12, the law presumes they are similarly incapable but calls for the court to hold a hearing to determine whether they had the capacity to commit a crime. That hearing is set for Feb. 20.

At a community meeting Wednesday night, Cashion said one parent expressed gratitude that because of the alertness of school staff, the gathering was a forum and not a funeral.

Another asked whether authorities would entertain the possibility of providing teachers with guns in the classroom. Cashion said he responded that the option was under consideration by the Legislature, but that most teachers weren't trained to use guns.

"I told them I can't imagine a teacher taking a gun out, leveling it at a fifth-grader and killing them," he said. "It's the antithesis of what we are."

Local teacher arrested for allegedly having gun on campus

UPDATE: Teacher who brought loaded gun to school pleads not guilty.

Not guilty plea from middle school teacher charged with bringing loaded gun, knife, on campus
Feb 19, 2013
CBS 8 NEWS

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A Farb Middle School teacher accused of bringing a loaded gun and knife to work, possibly as a means of defending himself in the event of a shooting or other violence at the Tierrasanta campus, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to felony weapons charges.

Seventh- and eighth-grade English instructor Ned Carter Walker, 41, faces up to five years and eight months in prison if convicted of possessing a firearm on school grounds and possessing a knife or stabbing instrument on school grounds.

Walker -- who is free on $50,000 bail -- will be back in court April 2 for a readiness conference and April 23 for a preliminary hearing.

Superior Court Judge Peter Deddeh ordered the defendant to stay away from the school while the case is pending.

Walker remains on administrative leave from his job, said his attorney, Gerissa Santos.

"He's obviously devastated, he loves his job, and he loves teaching," Santos said outside court. "He has a background with teaching ... his wife's a teacher. He has kids. He is devastated about all this. He misses his job, he misses his students.

"It's a devastating situation," the attorney said. "Unfortunately it's what we're faced with. And as much as we'd like to have him back on campus, have him back teaching -- some of his students want him back as well -- it's just not possible at this time given the disposition of the case."

Walker was taken into custody Feb. 11 in a parking lot at the school.

San Diego Unified School District police Chief Rueben Littlejohn told reporters that Walker's alleged decision to carry a loaded .380-caliber pistol and a knife with a 2 1/2-inch blade onto the school grounds may have been well-intentioned, but was nonetheless illegal and contrary to district regulations.

"We speculate that, based on reports from staff members, this employee had somewhat of an infatuation with guns and brought the weapon(s) to the school to protect himself in the event of a violent intruder," Littlejohn said during a news briefing last week.

A conviction on either or both of the felony charges -- one per weapon -- would be grounds for dismissal, school district spokesman Jack Brandais said.

ORIGINAL POST Some teachers lack good judgment.

Local teacher arrested for allegedly having gun on campus
CBS 8
Feb 12, 2013

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A Farb Middle School teacher was on compulsory leave Tuesday and facing a possible felony charge for allegedly bringing a gun and a knife to work, possibly as a means of defending himself in the event of a shooting or other violence at the campus, authorities reported.

Seventh- and eighth-grade English instructor Ned Carter Walker was taken into custody in a parking lot at the Tierrasanta school Monday morning and booked into county jail, according to San Diego Unified School District officials. He later posted bail and was released on his own recognizance.

SDUSD police Chief Rueben Littlejohn told reporters Walker's alleged decision to carry a loaded .380-caliber pistol and a knife with a 2 1/2-inch blade onto the school grounds may have been well-intentioned, but was nonetheless illegal and contrary to district regulations.

"We speculate that, based on reports from staff members, this employee had somewhat of an infatuation with guns and brought the weapon to the school to protect himself in the event of a violent intruder," Littlejohn said during a briefing late Tuesday morning.

Courtney Rizzo, interim principal at the La Cuenta Drive school, told parents in a letter that administrators were limited in the amount of information they could release on the allegations against Walker.

"Our focus is to continue to ensure that our students are safe, the learning process goes on as usual and we work with the proper authorities," Rizzo wrote.

Sandy Hook Elementary shooting leaves 28 dead

Will gun rights advocates at last agree to gun control in all states?

Sandy Hook Elementary shooting
By Sari Horwitz and David A. Fahrenthold
Washington Post
December 14, 2012

A shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. on Friday morning killed 27 people, including 20 children, law enforcement sources said.

The dead at Sandy Hook Elementary, about 60 miles northeast of New York City, included the suspected gunman. One other person was injured. Police said that the shootings were carried out in two rooms, located in the same section of the school.

They said 18 of the children had died at the scene, and two more died after being taken to hospitals.

In addition, police described a “secondary crime scene,” elsewhere in Newtown, where another adult was found dead. A Connecticut State Police spokesman, Lt. J. Paul Vance said that the second scene was discovered during the investigation into the school shootings...


Man kills 26 at Conn. school, including 20 kids
By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN
Associated Press
December 14, 2012

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — A man opened fire Friday inside two classrooms at the Connecticut elementary school where his mother worked as a teacher, killing 26 people, including 20 children, as youngsters cowered in corners and closets and trembled helplessly to the sound of gunfire reverberating through the building.

The killer, armed with two handguns, committed suicide at the school and another person was found dead at a second scene, bringing the toll to 28, authorities said.

A law enforcement official identified the gunman as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, the son of a teacher. A second law enforcement official said his mother, Nancy Lanza, was presumed dead.

Adam Lanza’s older brother, 24-year-old Ryan, of Hoboken, N.J., was being questioned, the first official said. Earlier, a law enforcement official mistakenly identified Ryan as the shooter.


Don’t talk about gun control!
Gun rights advocates tout "political correctness" to shut down talk of gun restrictions. We can't let them continue
Salon.com
By David Sirota
Dec 14, 2012

How many right-wing media voices were citing the shooting in Portland, Ore., this morning to trumpet the sanctity of gun rights and say we shouldn’t even talk about gun control? How many of them were making this perverse argument at the very moment the Newtown, Conn., shooting was taking place? And how many of those voices are the same ones who, when it comes to other issues, decry “political correctness”?

The answers to these questions should be obvious: almost certainly, a lot of them. And that is a sign that for all the conservative histrionics decrying liberal “political correctness,” the most powerful and most committed “p.c. police” in America are on the right — specifically, those on the right who claim that any critical discussion of the limits of the Second Amendment must be suppressed because they insult the political ideology of conservatives.

This form of “political correctness” is so routinized that we barely recognize it as the censorship system that it truly is. And as mass shootings become a staple of American life, this system is now ubiquitous.

We saw it after the mass shooting in Aurora, Colo., when conservatives rolled out their hallowed Now Is Not the Time talking point to insist that it was inappropriate to even discuss limits to assault-style weapons and ammunition magazines. We saw it last week with the over-the-top reaction to Bob Costas daring to suggest that America have a tempered discussion about gun control in the wake of the Kansas City Chiefs murder-suicide. We see it once again here in Colorado, where Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper is today facing withering criticism for merely floating the idea that his Legislature debate gun control in the upcoming session. And, no doubt, we will see it in the wake of the Newtown shooting, when the right will inevitably insist nobody has any right to criticize existing gun policies in America (except, of course, to criticize them as somehow too restrictive)...


ON THE VERY SAME DAY IN CHINA, A SIMILAR SITUATION HAD BETTER RESULTS WHEN THE ATTACKER HAD ONLY A KNIFE, NOT A GUN

Chinese man attacks 22 children, 1 adult with knife outside primary school
No deaths have been reported.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
December 14, 2012

BEIJING — A knife-wielding man injured 22 children and one adult outside a primary school in central China as students were arriving for classes Friday, police said, the latest in a series of periodic rampage attacks at Chinese schools and kindergartens.

The attack in the Henan province village of Chengping happened shortly before 8 a.m., said a police officer from Guangshan county, where the village is located.

BLOODSHED AT CONNECTICUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: CHILDREN AMONG AT LEAST 27 DEAD IN SHOOTING

The attacker, 36-year-old villager Min Yingjun, is now in police custody, said the officer, who declined to give her name, as is customary among Chinese civil servants.

A Guangshan county hospital administrator said the man first attacked an elderly woman, then students, before being subdued by security guards who have been posted across China following a spate of school attacks in recent years. He said there were no deaths among the nine students admitted, although two badly injured children had been transferred to better-equipped hospitals outside the county.

A doctor at Guangshan's hospital of traditional Chinese medicine said that seven students had been admitted, but that none were seriously injured.

13 charged, alumni cover-up cited, in Florida A & M hazing death of drum major Robert Champion

FAMU Hazing Death Included Cover Up Conspiracy, Parents Claim
By CHRISTINA NG
ABC News
May 3, 2012

The parents of Florida A&M drum major Robert Champion, who died from a hazing attack, alleged today that there was a "calculated conspiracy" to cover-up their son's death.

The accusation follows Florida State Attorney Lawson Lamar's announcement Wednesday of charges brought against 13 individuals in connection to Champion's death in November 2011.

Champion, 26, was a member of the college's famed "Marching 100" band when he collapsed and died Nov. 19 on a bus parked outside an Orlando, Fla., hotel after a football game.

The death was ruled a homicide and Lamar said Champion's torso was covered with bruises that he said were inflicted during a brutal hazing ritual that contributed to his death.

"It did not take five months to figure out who murdered Robert Champion. This is not a murder mystery," Champion family attorney Christopher Chestnut said at a news conference today in Atlanta. "There is no excuse for the lack of accountability."

"We have learned that there was a calculated conspiracy to cover up Robert Champion's murder," he said. "We have heard that alumni were communicating with students on that bus, telling them how to respond, what to say, what not to say in order to ensure that no one would be arrested and charged for murder. That is simply inexcusable."

Chestnut said he has statements from students who revealed these communications. He would not say how many statements he has, but said that he suspects several of the statements came from the same 13 people who have been charged in the hazing.

Eleven of the 13 individuals were charged with hazing resulting in death, a third-degree felony, as well as two counts of misdemeanor felony. The other two people were charged with one count each of misdemeanor hazing. The maximum sentence for hazing resulting in death is six years...

"Obviously, someone should be charged with murder," Chestnut said. "The most severe sentence is six years. Robert Champion has a life sentence."

Chestnut said he understood that there is currently not enough evidence for murder charges, but said this was because law enforcement had "botched" the investigation.

He said the case was compromised when authorities let the students on the bus go back to school and that the physical evidence was tainted when the bus was sent back to the company without collecting sufficient evidence.

Chestnut said the Champion family "absolutely, unequivocally" will be suing FAMU.

"Robert Champion...did not pass peacefully away at night," Chestnut said. "He died after being beaten to death. He was murdered. This is a murder case."

Chestnut also expressed anger at the fact that none of the students on the bus were ever put on academic probation or arrested. Four students were briefly suspended, but they were allowed to go back to school. The school's band director Julian White was fired, but later reinstated and put on administrative leave.

"Robert Champion wasn't in class at FAMU last week, but his murderers were," he said.

"FAMU cannot go on with business as usual," Champion's mother Pam Champion said at the news conference. "They need to clean house...

Murrieta Valley High School students face expulsion after phony gun report on campus

Murrieta Valley High School students face expulsion after phony gun report on campus
By Yazmin Alvarez, SWRNN
Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Two students at Murrieta Valley High School may face expulsion after spreading a rumor that a student was on campus with a gun, prompting a police investigation at the school Tuesday, school officials announced.

Authorities arrived at the high school after a parent was informed by their son that a student was carrying a gun, according to Murrieta Valley High School Principal Renate Johnson.

“The student called his parent who called police and within minutes a thorough investigation was started,” Johnson said.

The search revealed that the students had made up the story as joke and an email was sent to parents about the incident, Johnson said.

Parents were notified by email about the incident, with Murrieta Valley High School Principal Renate Jefferson urging parents to talk to their teens about student safety and the repercussions of making phony allegations.

“This is an excellent opportunity for you to talk to your teenager about the tremendous responsibility all of us have: To keep each other safe and not say or do anything to make a person feel unsafe. Students cannot make threats as a “joke” of spread the rumor that someone has a gun or other weapon, has drugs or wants to harm someone. Please impress upon them the seriousness of such an allegation or spreading a rumor… Endangering someone’s safety is never taken as a joke.”

Jefferson said a police investigation will be underway because of the false report. Suspension, behavior contracts and a possible recommendation for expulsion are also part of the consequences.

Judge Judith Hayes gives a win to SDSU education attorneys in Lance Louis case

Former Aztecs reach settlement over attack
Lance Louis, now with the Chicago Bears, allegedly snuck up on teammate in '08
SDUT
By Brent Schrotenboer
January 31, 2011

Chicago Bears offensive lineman Lance Louis has reached a settlement agreement to end the civil suit filed against him by Nick Sandford, his former teammate at San Diego State.

Terms of the settlement were confidential. Louis’ attorney and Sanford’s father each declined comment.

Sandford had filed suit in 2009 alleging that Louis “snuck up” and attacked him in a team meeting room, causing a concussion, ruptured eardrum and facial injuries in early November 2008.

Sanford also sued former SDSU head coach Chuck Long, alleging that he covered up the incident. While Sandford missed the final three games of the 2008 because of his injuries, Long allowed Louis to play because it gave the team a better chance of success, according to the suit. The incident also was not reported to police until 15 day after it happened, according to police records.

Sandford’s suit sought to recover unspecified damages from defendants Louis, Long and the California State University, which oversees SDSU. But earlier this month, San Diego Superior Court Judge Judith Hayes dropped Long from the case.

“Long cannot be vicariously liable for the alleged battery against plaintiff,” Hayes wrote in her decision to drop Long from Sandford’s suit.

As a result of that ruling, the case ended for SDSU without any settlement cost to the university, according to a school official. The CSU system also had been dropped from the case in a ruling by Hayes last year.

Louis previously had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery stemming from the same incident and was sentenced to three years of probation, 40 hours of community service and 12 hours in anger management classes.

In 2009, SDSU reached an agreement with Long to pay for his legal representation in the event he was sued by Sandford. Long was fired after the 2008 season and now is the offensive coordinator at Kansas.

Assault with deadly weapon charges expected in LA school shooting: report

Bullying needs to be stopped in order to save the lives of bullies, victims and bystanders.

Assault with deadly weapon charges expected in LA school shooting: report
New York Post
January 19, 2011

The Los Angeles high school student whose gun injured two classmates when it accidentally fired was Wednesday not expected to be charged with attempted murder, but rather will face charges of assault with a deadly weapon.

According to the Los Angeles Times, prosecutors have not said when they will formally charge the 17-year-old suspect or whether he will be charged as an adult.

On Tuesday, a 15-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy were shot at Gardena High School, located about 15 miles (24km) south of downtown Los Angeles, after a weapon fired from inside a backpack, discharging a round of bullets.

The girl was in critical condition after being shot in the head while the boy, who was shot in the neck, was listed in serious condition.

It was not known how the weapon was brought into the school undetected, but police sources told the Times that the student may have been the victim of bullying and had brought the gun for protection...

Gabrielle Giffords, targeted by Sarah Palin and Tea Party over health care reform, shot along with federal judge and 9-year-old

Health care for six people permanently repealed by gunman in Tucson.

Evidence Points to Methodical Planning
By MARC LACEY
New York Times
January 9, 2011

Evidence seized from Mr. Loughner’s home, about five miles from the shooting, indicated that he had planned to kill Representative Gabrielle Giffords, Democrat of Arizona, according to documents filed in Federal District Court in Phoenix.

Special Agent Tony M. Taylor Jr. of the F.B.I. said in an affidavit that an envelope found in a safe in the home bore these handwritten words: “I planned ahead,” “My assassination” and “Giffords.” ...



Hospital: Ariz. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords expected recover after Tucson shooting that killed six including a 9-year-old and a federal judge
Washington Post
By Shailagh Murray and Clarence Williams
January 8, 2011

Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot and critically wounded Saturday morning while hosting an event outside a Tucson grocery store, according to local news reports, a tragic turn of events after an unusually heated campaign season.

President Obama said in a statement that some people had died in the shooting, and that Giffords was "gravely wounded." However, she survived surgery and hospital officials said they were optimistic about her recovery.

Federal law enforcement sources said that John M. Roll, the senior U.S. District judge in Arizona, was shot and killed in the incident. The Pima County Sheriff's office said that five others including a nine-year-old child had died, and a total of 18 people were injured.

A 22-year old man was taken into custody after being tackled by people on the scene after the shooting. One pistol was recovered and it had what police described as "an extended clip."

The man was identified as Jared Loughner of Tucson, according to the Associated Press.

Giffords, who in November narrowly won reelection to a third term, was hosting her first "Congress on Your Corner" event when a gunman ran up and began shooting her and others in her entourage with a Glock handgun, according to law enforcement sources.

According to a local news report, Giffords was shot in the head at point-blank range. She was taken to University Medical Center in Tucson, but was reported to have been responsive immediately after the shooting. Earlier in the afternoon, CNN and NPR reported that she had died.

"We do not yet have all the answers. What we do know is that such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society," Obama said. "I ask all Americans to join me and Michelle in keeping Representative Giffords, the victims of this tragedy, and their families in our prayers."

Last March, Giffords was one of ten House Democrats who were the subject of harassment over their support for the national health care overhaul. At the time, the front door of Giffords' Tucson office had been shattered in an early morning incident.
ad_icon

Giffords had been a top target by Republicans in the 2010 midterm elections, but managed to win a tough re-election battle against a tea party candidate.

The up-and-coming lawmaker, known as a moderate Democrat who paid close attention to constituent concerns, had been singled out by Sarah Palin's SarahPac as one of the 20 Democrats on the ballot in November who represented states that supported Sen. John McCain for president in 2008. "It's time to take a stand," Palin's fundraising appeal said of Giffords and the other Democrats, who had all supported the health-care bill...


08 Jan 2011
Federal Judge John Roll Among Victims in Arizona Congresswoman Shooting
By Elie Mystal
Above the Law

...Some more details on Judge Roll…

Roll was appointed to the federal bench by George H.W. Bush in 1991, and was unanimously confirmed by the senate. He had served has Chief Judge since 2006. He was also a graduate of the University of Arizona College of Law, class of 1972.

I want to be very clear that I think it is way, WAY too early to start speculating on why some man opened fired on a crowd of people, seriously injuring a Congresswoman and killing a federal judge, and a little girl among others. However, it appears that Judge Roll did receive death threats in 2009 after he certified a case brought by illegal immigrants.

Here’s a July 2009 report from the Arizona Republic:

In February, when U.S. District Judge John Roll presided over a $32 million civil-rights lawsuit filed by illegal immigrants against an Arizona rancher, the Marshals Service was anticipating the fallout.

When Roll ruled the case could go forward, [U.S. Marshal David Gonzales] said talk-radio shows cranked up the controversy and spurred audiences into making threats.

In one afternoon, Roll logged more than 200 phone calls. Callers threatened the judge and his family. They posted personal information about Roll online.

“They said, ‘We should kill him. He should be dead,’ ” Gonzales said.

Roll, who is the chief federal judge in Arizona, said both he and his wife were given a protection detail for about a month.

Obviously, the authorities are not now in a position to tell us if these shootings were politically motivated, or if any specific person was the target of these attacks.

UPDATE: The T.V. people are saying that Congresswoman Giffords read a part of the Constitution during the little stunt put on by the House earlier this week. Her section? “…or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

UPDATE: It shouldn’t surprise any lawyers that the Judge was not “participating” in the Gabrielle Giffords supermarket meet-and-greet where the shooting took place. Instead, television reports say that Judge Roll happened to live a couple of blocks away from the supermarket. He decided to drop by to say hello to the Congresswoman.

UPDATE: For what it’s worth, in 1994 Judge Roll ruled that background checks for handguns under the Brady law were unconstitutional:

In Arizona, U.S. District Court Judge John Roll has become the third federal judge to agree that part of the Brady Law violates the Tenth Amendment. He is the first to say that part of the Brady Law also violates the Fifth Amendment.

Judge Roll’s opinion does not knock out the waiting period for handgun purchases, but it does strike at the very concept of the federal government requiring local law enforcement officers to conduct background checks…



We're not convinced he acted alone'
By Shailagh Murray, David A. Fahrenthold and Sari Horowitz
Washington Post Staff Writers
January 8, 2011

Authorities are seeking a second person in connection with the shooting in Tucson Saturday that killed six people and wounded a dozen others, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.)...

...Last March, Giffords was one of ten House Democrats who were the subject of harassment over their support for the national health care overhaul. At the time, the front door of Giffords' Tucson office had been shattered in an early morning incident.

Giffords had been a top target by Republicans in the 2010 midterm elections, but managed to win a tough re-election battle against a tea party candidate.

The up-and-coming lawmaker, known as a moderate Democrat who paid close attention to constituent concerns, had been singled out by Sarah Palin's SarahPac as one of the 20 Democrats on the ballot in November who represented states that supported Sen. John McCain for president in 2008...

Arizona has been a political hotbed in recent months, especially after the state approved last April restrictive immigration laws that became a conservative rallying cry.

Giffords is a member of the House Blue Dog Democrat coalition, a bloc of moderate and conservative Democrats whose ranks were ravaged by losses in November. Her husband is astronaut Mark E. Kelly.

Her 8th congressional district borders Mexico, and Giffords was judicious in her response to the Arizona immigration law, describing it as a "clear calling that the federal government needs to do a better job."

This was not the first time someone brought a gun to a Giffords event. A protester in August brought a gun to Giffords' Congress on Your Corner event in Douglas. Police were alerted after he dropped the firearm.

"When you represent a district that includes the home of the O.K. Corral and Tombstone, 'the Town Too Tough to Die,' nothing's a surprise out in Cochise County," Giffords, D-Ariz., said Tuesday in an interview with The Arizona Republic Editorial Board.

The man in question shouted "some pretty disparaging comments," Giffords said, but "at no point did I ever feel in danger and at no point did I ever feel there was a problem."

Giffords is a former Arizona state senate and house member who had previously served as president of a tire company founded by her father. She was a top recruit in 2006 by Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman Rahm Emanuel, viewed as the type of young, middle-of-the-road candidate with crossover appeal. She is a Spanish speaker whose hobbies include motorcycle racing.

Giffords beat a crowded Democratic primary field in 2006, and won 54 percent of the vote in the general election against immigration opponent Randy Graf, to succeed retiring Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.). She easily won re-election in 2008.

But the immigration debate sparked by the legal crackdown in her home state became a defining issue in Giffords' campaign last year. She denounced the law as "extreme" and has supported legislation to provide a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrations. But she supported a Republican effort to add National Guard troops along the border, and opposed a crusade led by her homestate colleague Rep. Raul Grijalva (D) to boycott Arizona businesses, in protest of the state law...

Hundreds attend Wisconsin hostage taker's memorial

Hundreds attend Wisconsin hostage taker's memorial
Dec 05, 2010
By TODD RICHMOND
Associated Press

Hundreds of people showed up Sunday for a memorial to a 15-year-old Wisconsin boy who held his social studies class hostage before shooting himself last week, setting aside the terrifying standoff to remember him as a quiet, helpful leader who loved the outdoors.

Sam Hengel's family held the gathering in a school auditorium in Menominee, Mich., because they expected so many supporters. Menominee lies just across the Menominee River from Marinette, Wis., where Hengel held 26 classmates and his teacher at gunpoint for nearly six hours.

Barb Post of Marinette, Wis., said she didn't know Hengel's family but attended anyway to show support.

"You care about the people and the family, and you understand it could happen to anybody," Post said.

Why Hengel took his class hostage remains a mystery. Other students and his teacher have said he was well-liked and had many friends.

The standoff last Monday at Marinette High School began when Hengel returned to his sixth-hour Western Civilization class from a bathroom break. He had two semi-automatic pistols and a backpack jammed with more than 200 rounds of ammunition and a pair of knives.

Students and police said he immediately fired three shots, blasting a hole in a wall and tearing apart a film projector. Students talked to him about everything from hunting and fishing to his favorite movies in an attempt to keep him calm.

No one else in the school apparently recognized the sound of the shots as gunfire, and Hengel told the teacher to post a note on the door telling seventh-period students to report to the library. As a result, no one realized the class was in danger until about a half-hour after school ended, when a man came to the school office looking for his daughter.

Principal Corry Lambie determined the last class the girl attended was Western Civilization and went to the room to find the door locked. When Lambie unlocked the door, Hengel pointed his gun at him and told him to leave. Hengel allowed the girl to go with Lambie.

The standoff dragged on for four more hours, with teacher Valerie Burd acting as a go-between for Hengel and police.

A SWAT team stormed the room after Hengel fired three shots about 8 p.m., destroying the classroom phone and hitting a computer. Hengel shot himself as officers reached him. He died the next morning.

Flurries fell under an overcast sky Sunday afternoon, adding to a feeling of gloom. The line to greet the teen's parents and two younger brothers stretched out of the auditorium and into the lobby, where mourners gazed at collages of photos depicting Hengel as a small child, holding a string of fish and paddling along on a canoe trip with his family.

On a table was a message board. Hengel's brother, Ben, had written "I will always miss you, brother" on it. Next to the board were pin-on buttons emblazoned with Hengel's face and take-home cards listing symptoms that might indicate suicidal thoughts...

Classroom Beating: Florida Student Gets Pummeled While Teacher Sits Back

Classroom Beating: Florida Student Gets Pummeled While Teacher Sits Back
By SARAH NETTER
ABC News
Dec. 1, 2010

The pummeling of a Palm Beach, Fla., middle school boy by another student has infuriated the boy's family who say the teacher did nothing but sit by his computer while the fight raged in his classroom.

Video of the fight between Joshua Poole, 13, and his Jeaga Middle School classmate shows Poole swinging wildly as he is punched repeatedly before falling to the floor. The teacher's inaction was reportedly due to a school policy that staff can only intervene after undergoing training, according to the school district.

That type of "policy run amok" is a growing problem in schools across the country, according to Carol Kochhar-Bryant, a professor at George Washington University's Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

"In the past there have been many families, if the child gets injured in any way by an intervention by a teacher, there have been instances where the teachers have been reprimanded," she said. "Those policies protect the school, they protect the teacher, but we are realizing now they don't protect the child in those situations."

...Teachers, she said, "are entrusted by society to take care of children." ...

Police Beating of Maryland Student Caught on Video

"In a sworn statement, county police officer Sean McAleavey said McKenna and Donat "struck" other officers and their horses, "causing minor injuries.""

I think that police officers who file false reports should be reprimanded. I believe that the same is true for school officials and employees who file false reports. The Maryland police officers' stories are even more outrageous than stories made up by Richard Werlin and Castle Park Elementary teachers.



Police Beating of Maryland Student Caught on Video
Mara Gay
AOL News
(April 13, 2010

Without the video, this might have been a classic case of "he said, she said."

But there is a video. And so the case against two University of Maryland students accused of attacking police after a basketball game last month was dropped after the footage showed county police beating one of those students repeatedly with a baton. Now a new kind of accusation is being leveled, this one against the officers: police brutality...

Professor accused in Ala. slayings shot her brother in Mass. 24 years ago

Bob Gathany/Huntsville Times/AP

Sometimes your siblings don't love you as much as you think they do.


Professor accused in Ala. slayings shot her brother in Mass. 24 years ago
February 13, 2010
By John M. Guilfoil and Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

The University of Alabama biology professor accused of slaying three of her colleagues fatally shot her brother in an apparent accident in Massachusetts more than two decades ago, a local police chief said.

Braintree Police Chief Paul Frazier confirmed the 1986 shooting in his town and slated a news conference this afternoon to discuss the incident.

The Globe reported at the time that Amy Bishop had shot her 18-year-old brother, Seth M. Bishop, an accomplished violinist who had won a number of science awards.

John Polio, chief of police at the time, said Amy Bishop, who was 20 at the time, had asked her mother, Judith, in the presence of her brother how to unload a round from the chamber of a 12-gauge shotgun.

Polio told the Globe that while Amy Bishop was handling the weapon, it fired, wounding Seth Bishop in the abdomen. He was pronounced dead at a hospital 46 minutes after the Dec. 6, 1986 shooting.

"Every indication at this point in time leads us to believe it was an accidental shooting," Polio said at the time.

In Friday's shooting, Amy Bishop, 42, a Harvard-educated neurobiologist, allegedly shot and killed three of her colleagues and wounded three others in an apparent tenure dispute at the Huntsville campus, the Associated Press reports.


DID AUTHORITIES COVER UP A MURDER? DID SHE HAVE CONNECTIONS?

14 February 2010
BBC
University of Alabama shooting suspect 'killed brother'

...At a news conference in her former hometown of Braintree, Police Chief Paul Frazier said the biology professor had killed her brother in 1986.

It was reported as being an accident at the time, but he said officers who were serving then had told him that Ms Bishop shot the young man after an argument and fled the scene before being arrested at gunpoint.

Mr Frazier alleged she was never charged after the then police chief, John Polio, or someone acting on his behalf, intervened and told officers to release Ms Bishop. He added that detailed records of the incident had been missing for more than 20 years.

"It is a far different story than what was reported at the time," Mr Frazier said...

Another teacher opens fire: Three shot dead at University of Alabama-Huntsville

FEBRUARY 12, 2010, 9:29 P.M. ET

Three Dead in Shooting at University of Alabama-Huntsville

By JENNIFER LEVITZ

A woman opened fire during a meeting of teaching staff at the University of Alabama's Huntsville campus Friday, killing three faculty members and wounding three others, according to university spokesman Ray Garner.

A professor was in custody Friday night in connection with the shooting, but Mr. Garner said he couldn't yet name her or the victims, or provide a possible motive. Local television media reported that the shooter was a female faculty member who learned during a biology tenure meeting that she wouldn't receive tenure, and pulled out a gun and started shooting.

Mr. Garner said no students were involved.

The Huntsville Times reported that Amy Bishop, a Harvard University-trained neuroscientist was taken into custody without a struggle, and that her husband was also detained. They haven't been charged with a crime. The Huntsville police wouldn't name the people in custody.

Teacher accused of shooting 2 principals at school

Teacher accused of shooting 2 principals at school
AP
By BETH RUCKER, Associated Press
Feb. 10, 2010

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – An elementary school teacher is accused of shooting and wounding the principal and assistant principal at his school Wednesday about an hour after the children were dismissed because of snow.

Police charged Mark Stephen Foster, 48, of Clinton, with two counts of attempted first-degree murder after the shooting at Inskip Elementary School. The school Web site identifies Foster as a fourth-grade teacher.

A former boss of Foster's said the suspect was taken into custody in the 1990s with weapons near their office after making threatening comments about him to family members.

University of Tennessee Medical Center officials said Principal Elisa Luna remained in critical condition and Assistant Principal Amy Brace in stable condition Wednesday night.

"We're very saddened by this tragedy," Knox County Schools Superintendent James McIntyre Jr. said. "Thankfully there were no students involved." The children had left school early because of snow.

The Web profile for Foster includes a picture and description that says, "I love teaching 4th grade. Every child is a winner."

Tennessee Department of Education spokeswoman Rachel Woods said Foster received an apprentice teacher license for grades K-6 in the summer of 2007. An apprentice license is issued when someone first starts teaching, before they have tenure, she said...

Teachers should be checked for anger issues before they bring guns to school

Update: Brain scans show bullies enjoy others' pain


I know a few teachers who get very worked up when someone does something they disapprove of. I also know some teachers with paranoid tendencies. These emotional traits could be very dangerous to students, staffers and parents if these people had guns at school and their emotions somehow got triggered.

I think this Texas school district is off its rocker:

Texas school district lets staffers carry concealed weapons to class

One school district is telling teachers they can pack heat when classes begin at the end of the month.

The Harrold Independent School District in northern Texas says trustees voted to allow teachers to bring handguns on campus as long as they meet licensing and other requirements.

David Thweatt, superintendent of the 110-student district, tells the Star-Telegram they adopted this policy because of shooting sprees at Virginia Tech and other educational institutions...

Are developers playing rough in Greece?

I found this article in the Taipei Times:

"Greece charges seven with arson over forest fires"

"Greece battled raging forest fires for a fourth day yesterday and charged seven people with arson over blazes that have claimed more than 60 lives and threatened some of Europe's most historic sites...

"Firefighters were surrounding the site of Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, after succeeding on Sunday in preventing the flames from devastating one of Greece's most historic treasures...

"A spokesman for firefighters said seven people had been charged with starting fires and anti-terrorist prosecutor Dimitris Papagelopoulos said he was opening a preliminary investigation into the cause.

"Both announcements fueled mounting speculation that the fires were started by criminal gangs.

""The fact that so many fires have broken out in so many areas at once is perhaps not a coincidence," Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said at the weekend...

"Construction is one of Greece's main industries, and some observers believe that developers are hoping to move in on the areas where forest has been destroyed.

"The government has insisted however that trees will be re-planted, partly to prevent illegal construction."

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2007/08/28/2003376120
AFP AND AP, ATHENS AND CHRISAFA, GREECE
Aug 28, 2007

CTA's legal committe picks and chooses who it defends; Albert Truitt got their nod of approval

The following is taken from an article by By Robert Gammon that was published in the East Bay Express on December 7, 2005.

"...The case involves the fruitless attempts by Merced County's Atwater Elementary School District to terminate a teacher accused by five of his former students of molesting them. During the Atwater district's odyssey through the state's tenure rules, officials learned that even though the teacher was arrested, charged by prosecutors with six counts of felony child molestation, and ordered to stand trial by a superior court judge, they still could not fire him.

"These eye-opening lessons were handed out in the case of Albert G. Truitt Jr., a longtime teacher and track coach at Thomas Olaeta Elementary School in Atwater. The case began in December 2001, when one of the coach's former students told Atwater officials that Truitt had molested him. As required by law, school officials immediately notified police, who promptly opened an investigation. Truitt, however, remained on the job, and few people were aware of the allegation against him.

"After four months, police told school officials that they had yet to gather enough evidence to arrest Truitt, who proclaimed his innocence. So the frustrated officials conducted their own investigation, and soon discovered four other students with similar allegations. The boys said that between 1992 and 1998, Truitt repeatedly fondled their penises and buttocks and peppered them with unwanted kisses at his home and on field trips. So on May 23, 2002, the district informed Truitt -- per tenure rules -- that it planned to bring termination proceedings against him in thirty days.

"Before the tenure hearing could begin,
Truitt's union attorneys filed motions to throw out
most of the allegations, citing a provision
that prohibits the use of allegations
against a teacher if those charges are
more than four years old.
An administrative law judge agreed,
effectively ruling that Truitt could not be fired.

"Stunned district officials appealed the case, and a Superior Court judge overturned the earlier ruling and reinstated the tenure hearing. But before it got under way, the California Teachers Association appealed the case to the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Fresno.

"In February 2003, Atwater police finally put together a case against Truitt and arrested him on one count of felony child molestation. The district attorney added five more counts the following July. After a preliminary hearing, a judge concluded there was sufficient evidence to order Truitt to stand trial. He faced up to fifteen years in prison.

"But those developments meant nothing to the appellate court. It ruled against the district and once again dismissed Truitt's termination hearing. The court held that tenure rules clearly state that "no decision relating to the dismissal ... of any employee shall be made on charges or evidence of any nature relating to the matters occurring more than four years prior to the filing of the notice."

"Although Atwater officials appealed the case to the state Supreme Court, they feared they would never be allowed to fire Truitt -- who by then had been put on leave pending a resolution of the case. One option was to wait for him to be convicted of molestation, which would result in the loss of his teaching credential. But that was no slam-dunk. Child-molestation cases can be tough to win, especially if they're based on old allegations without physical evidence. In this case, it would be the word of young boys who had waited four to ten years to come forward against that of a well-liked teacher who was backed by one of the most powerful unions in California.

"With the prospect of children having to testify in open court, school officials signed off on a plea-bargain agreement between the district attorney and Truitt's attorneys. The teacher pleaded no contest, was convicted of a misdemeanor battery charge, and agreed to five years' probation. In exchange, he resigned from the district and voluntarily surrendered his teaching credential. "This broke my heart," he wrote in July 2004 to the court.

"The plea deal kept Truitt out of the classroom and away from children every day. But if he was guilty, justice had not been served. A child molester may have gone free because tenure rules made it virtually impossible for his employer to keep him away from potential victims.

"After suffering a stroke, Truitt died in May of this year at the age of 54. The school district is pressing its case nonetheless, supported by the California School Boards Association and several other major school districts. Atwater is arguing that even though Truitt is dead, key questions remain unresolved. "The essence of this case is to protect the safety of schoolchildren," said attorney Smith, who represents the district. "When you don't know about the misconduct, then why should you be prevented from acting on the misconduct when it comes to your attention?"

"Atwater is asking the high court to liberally interpret the tenure rules to mean that the four-year clock should not begin ticking until the district learns of the allegations. "It contravenes public policy that the employment rights of one individual would be elevated above the rights of schoolchildren," attorneys for LA Unified said in a letter to the court in support of Atwater.

"Union attorney John Kohn maintains to this day that Truitt was innocent. Attorney Thomas Driscoll, who represented Truitt since the original tenure hearing and is still being paid by the teachers' union, said the district attorney's office must have settled the case because there were "problems with it." Mendocino County District Attorney Gordon Spencer did not return two phone calls seeking comment on why he accepted the plea bargain.

"As for the Supreme Court case, Kohn and Driscoll argue that it should be the job of police and prosecutors -- not school districts -- to investigate criminal allegations against teachers and prosecute them if necessary. "I'm glad that the California Supreme Court took this case, because we want to defend this case," Driscoll said.

"But there is more at stake in Truitt than the rights of teachers versus the safety of schoolchildren. Cash-strapped school districts, like most public agencies, are concerned about the costs of getting sued. They want a definitive ruling because school districts forbidden by law from firing a suspected child molester can nonetheless be sued for millions of dollars in civil court -- where the standard of proof is less -- by the victims of such a teacher..."

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/2005-12-07/news/the-case-against-tenure/print