Doodling on your desk = Call the police?

[makattak]

More evidence of the failures that are our public schools:

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/02/05/2010-02-05_cuffed_for_doodling_on_a_desk.html

Queens girl Alexa Gonzalez hauled out of school in handcuffs after getting caught doodling on desk
BY Rachel Monahan
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Thursday, February 4th 2010, 11:57 PM
 
Pace for NewsAlexa Gonzalez, a student Junior High School 190 in Forest Hills, Queens, was handcuffed and detained at police precinct for doodling on her desk with erasable marker.

Alexa Gonzalez was scribbling a few words on her desk Monday while waiting for her Spanish teacher to pass out homework at Junior High School 190 in Forest Hills, she said.

"I love my friends Abby and Faith," the girl wrote, adding the phrases "Lex was here. 2/1/10" and a smiley face.

But instead of simply cleaning off the doodles after class, Alexa landed in some adult-sized trouble for using her lime-green magic marker.

She was led out of school in cuffs and walked to the precinct across the street, where she was detained for several hours, she and her mother said.

"I started crying, like, a lot," said Alexa. "I made two little doodles. ... It could be easily erased. To put handcuffs on me is unnecessary." Alexa, who had a stellar attendance record, hasn't been back to school since, adding, "I just thought I'd get a detention. I thought maybe I would have to clean [the desk]."

"She's been throwing up," said her mom, Moraima Camacho, 49, an accountant, who lives with her daughter in Kew Gardens. "The whole situation has been a nightmare."

City officials acknowledged Alexa's arrest was a mistake.

"We're looking at the facts," said City Education Department spokesman David Cantor. "Based on what we've seen so far, this shouldn't have happened."

"Even when we're asked to make an arrest, common sense should prevail, and discretion used in deciding whether an arrest or handcuffs are really necessary," said police spokesman Paul Browne.

Alexa is the latest in a string of city students who have been cuffed for minor infractions. In 2007, 13-year-old Chelsea Fraser was placed under arrest for writing "okay" on her desk at Intermediate School 201. And in 2008, 5-year-old Dennis Rivera was cuffed and sent to a psych ward after throwing a fit in his kindergarten.

A class action lawsuit was filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union last month against the city for using "excessive force" in middle school and high schools. A 12-year-old sixth-grader, identified in the lawsuit as M.M., was arrested in March 2009 for doodling on her desk at the Hunts Point School.

Alexa is still suspended from her school, her mother said. She and her mom went to family court on Tuesday, where Alexa was assigned eight hours of community service, a book report and an essay on what she learned from the experience.

"I definitely learned not to ever draw on a desk," said Alexa. "They told me with a pencil this could still happen."

rmonahan@nydailynews.com



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/02/05/2010-02-05_cuffed_for_doodling_on_a_desk.html#ixzz0egMWFIk8

Seriously? The teacher called the cops about writing on a desk with an erasable marker?

I wish I could say nothing our terrible school systems do shocks me anymore, but this is INSANE.

The teacher should be fired, but, of course, you can't fire a teacher for incompetence. Heck, you can't even fire a teacher for sleeping with a student without years of wrangling in New York.

[41magsnub]

At least they didn't use a taser...

[dogmush]

Alexa was assigned eight hours of community service, a book report and an essay on what she learned from the experience.

I shudder to think what she actually learned from the experiance, but I'd lay odds it's not what the school and police wanted to teach her.

[BlueStarLizzard]

do people have no sense of proportion anymore? seriously?

poor kid. 

[freakazoid]

Seriously? The teacher called the cops about writing on a desk with an erasable marker?

Doesn't say if it was the teacher. I'd guess it was actually the principle who would of called the cops.

Do they even make handcuffs small enough for 5 year olds?

[BlueStarLizzard]

Doesn't say if it was the teacher. I'd guess it was actually the principle who would of called the cops.

Do they even make handcuffs small enough for 5 year olds?

junior high.... so 10-13 or thereabouts. i would think a 5 year old would shake this off rather quickly (not saying five year olds should be arrested in anyway shape or form)
this girl is gonna have this incident etched into her brain and then not gonna be allowed to forget it, becuase every brat at the school is gonna bring it up every time they can.

[freakazoid]

That was actually in response to this part,
"And in 2008, 5-year-old Dennis Rivera was cuffed and sent to a psych ward after throwing a fit in his kindergarten."

[RevDisk]

Alexa was assigned eight hours of community service, a book report and an essay on what she learned from the experience.

I shudder to think what she actually learned from the experience, but I'd lay odds it's not what the school and police wanted to teach her.

1. The school officials responsible are idiots and have a complete lack of professionalism.  Take a couple pages to explain why.  Cite low industry standards, lack of meaningful feedback (ie few metrics are possible, and far fewer are used), too much union protection, etc etc.
2. The specific police officers involved are idiots and have a complete lack of professionalism.  Cite generally decent industry standards and try to isolate the specific reason why these standards were not applied to said officers, cite how and why the officers need basic training in the Peelian principles and the depth of their failings at specific Peelian principles, too much union protection, etc etc.
3. List how both the schools and police have a notional responsibility to the public, list the historical contexts, list the failings, etc etc.

Sure, after writing an excellent essay detailing that, she'd face even worse retaliation down the line but that'd be more educational than what she's probably being taught during normal classwork anyways.

[Viking]

I'm sure she has learnt to respect and trust authorit-ay now after this incident. Holy [deleted], I can see why people aren't interested in letting the schools educate their children...

Edited.  This is an all-ages forum.

[RevDisk]

I'm sure she has learnt to respect and trust authorit-ay now after this incident. Holy *expletive deleted*it, I can see why people aren't interested in letting the schools educate their children...

I'm sure she has learned to respect authority.  Anyone that has the legal power to cuff you for writing on a desk with erasable ink and get away with doing so with no repercussions should be respected.  Apparently, both the school and police qualify.  Trust?  pffft.  She's learned a very valuable lesson.  You can and should respect authority, because it has the ability to make your life miserable if it so chooses if nothing else.  You should never trust it further than you can legally throw it.

[Boomhauer]

I'm sure she has learnt to respect and trust authorit-ay now after this incident. Holy [deleted], I can see why people aren't interested in letting the schools educate their children...

The public school system is pretty bad...

My family's experience with the local school system has not been pleasant at all.

The administrations treat schools as their personal fiefdoms to wield power over the "little people".
Carry a butterknife to school to spread some peanut butter or mayo? EXPULSION.
Speak out against the school administration? They'll search your car, find ways to put you into detention, whatever it takes to shut you up...
Got a nutty teacher that hates you for some reason? They can make your life hell.
Have some bully run up to you and sucker punch you? You're going to be suspended. Even if you didn't hit back or if you just curled up or tried to get away..

Now, of course, this kind of stuff only happens to you if you are a decent student. If you are one of the worthless brats that's there because Mommy sees the school system as free daycare, then you've got free run of the place and you are untouchable...

[Seenterman]

I'd love to hear the explanation that officer gave for arresting and cuffing her, or the judge for that matter for not dismissing this case outright. What did they charge her with? You can't pursue vandalism charges for something erasable right, or else sidewalk chalk would be illegal?  Officer's still have that little thing called discretion at their disposal right? Or is it when a school calls they must arrest?

I know I'm going to rankle some posters when I say this, but you think this little girl being Hispanic had anything to do with her heavy handed treatment? I highly doubt if she was Sally Sue from the Upper East Side this would have happened. She should sue everyone involved.  I also love how they try to cover their asses by saying this

"We're looking at the facts," said City Education Department spokesman David Cantor. "Based on what we've seen so far, this shouldn't have happened."

"Even when we're asked to make an arrest, common sense should prevail, and discretion used in deciding whether an arrest or handcuffs are really necessary," said police spokesman Paul Browne.

but then this happens:

She and her mom went to family court on Tuesday, where Alexa was assigned eight hours of community service, a book report and an essay on what she learned from the experience.

Shouldn't have happened but make sure the child's punished, not any of the adults who so clearly failed in every aspect of their jobs. I hope she sues the school, the police department, and the court system if possible. Teach these idiots a lesson. 

[Viking]

I'm sure she has learned to respect authority.  Anyone that has the legal power to cuff you for writing on a desk with erasable ink and get away with doing so with no repercussions should be respected.  Apparently, both the school and police qualify.  Trust?  pffft.  She's learned a very valuable lesson.  You can and should respect authority, because it has the ability to make your life miserable if it so chooses if nothing else.  You should never trust it further than you can legally throw it.

I would hazard a guess that she instead learned to hate authority instead.

[Viking]

The public school system is pretty bad...

My family's experience with the local school system has not been pleasant at all.

The administrations treat schools as their personal fiefdoms to wield power over the "little people".
Carry a butterknife to school to spread some peanut butter or mayo? EXPULSION.
Speak out against the school administration? They'll search your car, find ways to put you into detention, whatever it takes to shut you up...
Got a nutty teacher that hates you for some reason? They can make your life hell.
Have some bully run up to you and sucker punch you? You're going to be suspended. Even if you didn't hit back or if you just curled up or tried to get away..

Now, of course, this kind of stuff only happens to you if you are a decent student. If you are one of the worthless brats that's there because Mommy sees the school system as free daycare, then you've got free run of the place and you are untouchable...

Yikes. My school years doesn't seem to be quite as bad compared to that.
Carrying a knife, no trouble really. I did it a number of times (most of them by mistake), but I never feared getting into trouble over it. Stern talking to at the worst (and not even that happened when I dropped it out of my pocket in the class room at the age of 9, teacher merely held it until it was time to go home) And that was a horrible Swiss Assault Pocket Knife with 2 blades!
Searching car: Can't get a license here until you're 18, so most kids arrived at school by bus, or by foot, bike or moped. Random searches? Not a chance. AFAIK, your school locker is almost untouchable. Bag? Same.
I also got into a number of fights against bullies from the age of 13-15. Nothing happened, not even after I had wrestled a classmate to the ground and then dragged him down three flights of stairs by his feet, his head bouncing off every hard, unyielding marble step...nor did anything happen any of the times I seriously tried to strangle someone who had pushed me far enough...

[Boomhauer]

AFAIK, your school locker is almost untouchable. Bag? Same.

Not here. You, your bag, locker, or car can be searched for any time for just about any reason. It's the "War Against Drugs!"

[Viking]

Not here. You, your bag, locker, or car can be searched for any time for just about any reason. It's the "War Against Drugs!"

But don't you realize that it's for Your Own Good? Who knows what will happen if you smoke marijuana? You'll probably end up being pregnant. Or a jazz musician. Or a rocker.
/sarcasm

[Scout26]

At least they didn't use a taser...

Beat me to it.  

When I was in school, every boy carried a Buck knife, you weren't "cool" unless you had one.  Despite a few fights, we had precisely 0 stabbings.  

I remember when I wrote the final score of the 1976 NCAA Basketball Tourney (when Indiana went undefeated) in huge letters on my desk (in Pencil)in 5th grade.  Mrs Bender just chewed me out and made me erase it.  I then got the hairy eyeball from her for the next several weeks.

When Byron Graves and I had our fight in 7th grade, we each got paddled (2 each) by the dean of boys and spent 2 days in detention (our parents were call also and had to come to school, and I got paddled again when I got home   ).  

[Boomhauer]

When Byron Graves and I had our fight in 7th grade, we each got paddled (2 each) by the dean of boys and spent 2 days in detention (our parents were call also and had to come to school, and I got paddled again when I got home

And now if they throw one of the real troublemakers into detention, then the troublemaker's mother, a screeching harpy, comes to the school to holler about how her baby "Didn't do nuthin!"

[Viking]

And now if they throw one of the real troublemakers into detention, then the troublemaker's mother, a screeching harpy, comes to the school to holler about how her baby "Didn't do nuthin!"

I wonder how some people can be so blind...

[MicroBalrog]

I wonder how some people can be so blind...

Could it be because stuff like the above happens all the time?

I work with children. Trust me. There's a set of very good reasons parents will side with their kids against the school, even when the kids are patently in the wrong.

[French G.]

We all had knives, there were no problems, unless you count the time I dismantled the bus with my SAK screwdriver. (They were not amused) Once I took an army FM on improvised explosives to show a buddy all the cool crap we could build, got talked to and told not to bring it again, no big deal. Now everything is a big deal.

More proof that all laws(and petty school rules) are ultimately enforceable at the end of a gun.

[AZRedhawk44]

When Byron Graves and I had our fight in 7th grade, we each got paddled (2 each) by the dean of boys and spent 2 days in detention (our parents were call also and had to come to school, and I got paddled again when I got home   ).  

I got in 1 fight in junior high.

I had been taking martial arts for a couple years before it.

I didn't start the fight.  All I did was block the entire time.  A teacher broke it up within half a dozen punches or so by the other boy.

Principal wanted to call the police on both of us.

I looked him in the eye and told him:  "If you do that, all you'll do is teach me that regardless of my chosen behavior in a fight I didn't start, I'm going to get the same punishment.  So, the next fight I get into, you'll need an ambulance for the other boy.  And I'll expect to see the same punishment for me as the other boy."

He sat and thought about it for a bit then put the two of us in in-school detention for the rest of the day, and that was the end of it.

I already had quite a dislike for authority due to some other stuff that happened when I was younger, and despite the principal's ultimate decision to revoke any serious punishment, I was still STRONGLY irked that I even got in-school detention for merely defending myself, and that the other kid got the same punishment for starting it.  The ultimate result was that my "rightness" ended up saving the other boy some punishment.  Behavioral communism, though I didn't understand it at the time.

It DID reinforce to me that if I have to fight, I should put my opponent down hard and permanently.  "Authority" will never be my friend when responding to something outside of its control.

And I didn't get in any more fights afterwards, either.

[Boomhauer]

Could it be because stuff like the above happens all the time?

I work with children. Trust me. There's a set of very good reasons parents will side with their kids against the school, even when the kids are patently in the wrong.

No, Micro, there's a different set of factors at work. I wish I could put it into words adequately...

It's more of "HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST MY PERFECT ANGEL WOULD DO ANYTHING BAD!" and less about anything to actually do with actual abuses of power...the "parent" is outraged that their child/brat/spawn of satan should actually be responsible for their own actions...

[MicroBalrog]

I don't think you understand.

I experience this every day.

Teachers which flat-out refuse to go through necessary grammatical material, and then, when Little Darling Special doesn't know any English despite learning it for five years, offer tutoring – paid tutoring, at the parents' own expense and into the teacher's pocket.

Teachers who deliberately reduce marks for smarter kids because 'they're asking questions and that really annoys me'.

Teachers who say: “Go ahead. File a complaint. What do you think will happen?”

I'm not talking about stuff I've read about in the papers, but things I – or people I know who are teachers – have personally seen and experienced.

Add to this the fact people just generally tend to be blind about the failings of their own children – and hell, I work as a tutor, and I've seen how grotesquely kids can screw up at any age, and I tell you – I'd trust my child if I had one over the people who infest the Israeli education system. I'm not  surprised when I hear about a parent who flipped out and hit a teacher because I know how arrogant and rude and semi-literate many of them are.

Now I don't know. Maybe America's teachers are different. But in Israel, decades of unionism and political corruption had turned the education system into a pile of steaming, rotten FAILURE.

[RevDisk]

I would hazard a guess that she instead learned to hate authority instead.

You can hate and respect something.