"I Own You"

Yesterday my son came home from school very upset. That is a very unusual occurance. My son is 15, a straight A student, a rule follower (for the most part), never been in trouble. He is generally a very laid back kid who doesn't get upset eaisly. I stay pissed off enough for all of us. My son just sort of takes things in stride.

However, he told me that one of his classes was interrupted for an assembly on the rules and the dress code. This is the first year that something of a uniform has been instituted at school. Boys have to wear jeans or khakis, a belt,and shirts must be tucked in and cannot have any writing on them other than a polo or duckhead logo on the pocket. He hasn't broken the dress code rule or any other rule that I am aware of.

He said during the assembly that the Assistant Principal Mr. Davis told all the kids, "When you walk in that door I OWN YOU!" Now, what kind of shit is that to say to kids? I own you? Since when is public school run by fucking drill sergeants? I didn't enroll my child in Lyman Ward Military Academy and no one is going to talk to him like that. It has been illegal to own another human being since slavery ended. Further, taxpayers own the school and the teachers because we pay their damn salary, so if anyone owns anyone it is that we own them. What sick and twisted logic to think that one owns the people who pay their salary. What sick and twisted logic to think that one human being in America thinks that they own another one. It reminds me of how my mother and I were treated by prison guards when we tried to visit my brother. Seems like many state workers need a serious reality check.

My son has enough of me in him to get really pissed at a statement like that. He said, "Mom it was all I could do to stay seated and keep my mouth shut! My tongue hurts from biting it."

No one owns my children. The public school especially does not own them. In fact, I loan my son to them nine months of the year so that they can maintain a decent GPA. Without him it would fall dramatically.

So, I dedicate the following movie clip to Assistant Principal Davis.



I hear Lyman Ward Military Academy in Camp Hill is hiring. Maybe Assistant Principal Davis would find his drill sergeant mentality more acceptable in an environment that prepares kids for military life. My son isn't going in the military and therefore has no need whatsoever of this asshole treating him like he signed up for the Marines.

Poor Kids Get Zero's

Yesterday was back-to-school day for my son who is in 10th grade this year. I am homeschooling my daughter and it's a good thing...I can already tell.

This year at Horseshoe Bend school uniforms of a sort are required. Jeans or khakis for pants and shirts must not have any writing on them other than say a Duck Head or Polo logo, shirts must be tucked in and a belt worn. Why they have to insist on a shirt being tucked in is beyond me or that a belt be worn for that matter. Are they trying to make the kids uncomfortable?

Anyway, that isn't the worst thing. In the letter from my son's geometry teacher there is a list of supplies required.

Pack of #2 Pencils
Loose-leaf paper
Blue folder with prong pockets
Pack of copy paper
Construction paper
Markers or colored pencils
Tape
Calculator with Trig functions
Roll of paper towels

Tape, paper towels, copy paper and tissues are the only items left in the room. Basically that means you are buying supplies that should already be provided by your tax dollars.

No big deal you say...all schools require kids to have supplies...but here is the kicker...

Items must be brought in by Monday, August 13. A zero daily grade will be given for each day that you do not have supplies.

Now, let's say that the supplies on this list cost $30....but a poor kids parents do not have it just now. It may be hard for you to believe that someone doesn't have $30 but it isn't hard for me to believe at all. Basically what this means is that poor kids will receive a failing grade for being poor.

What's up with that?

Parent Alleges Assault After Son Paddling

Parent alleges assault of son after paddling

By Kevin Taylor
Alexander City Outlook


The parent of a Horseshoe Bend School student filed a report with the Tallapoosa County Sheriff's Office in which he alleges a coach assaulted his son, a student of the school.

The object used in the assault is listed as a paddle on the police report, and it indicates the incident occurred on Feb. 14.

Horseshoe Bend School Principal Glenn Fuller confirmed the coach involved in the incident is head football coach Andy Keith.

"We did everything according to proper procedure," Fuller said.

Fuller said the child had committed four minor offenses, which calls for punishment as laid out in the school's policy manual.

According to code 2.26 for habitual Class 1 violations, the punishment is three days of In School Suspension (ISS).


Fuller said the student approached him and asked to take a paddling instead of serve three days in ISS. Fuller agreed to the terms, so Keith administered the paddling with Fuller as a witness.

"I would have never dreamed anything like this would have come up," Fuller said. "If I could have turned back time, I would have told the child that he would have to serve the three days in ISS."

Keith said he could not comment on the situation as advised by his attorney.

The police report indicates the alleged misdemeanor assault was classified as simple and not aggravated assault.

Tallapoosa County Schools Superintendent Ginger East said the board is aware of the incident and checking into the situation.

"We are always concerned about the welfare of our students," East said. "We are focused on maintaining the learning environment and providing a quality education. We follow policy, and we followed policy."
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Whoa!!! What a spin job!

Now, I guess the fact that this finally made the newspaper will have to convince those who have doubts that I didn't just make the whole thing up for kicks. This is a very biased story with no quotes from the family. Looks like a news release from the school. Also, are there any witnesses to this kid asking to be paddled? I bet not. Proper procedure was obviously not followed because,

1. There is nothing in this kids record to indicate that it is ok to use corporal punishment.

2. Neither of the parents were called before corporal punishment was administered and they should have been. A 14-year-old does not have authority to give consent to corporal punishment.

3. The bruises left on this child are far and beyond anything normal corporal punishment would have inflicted.

Stating that they followed all procedures does not make it true. They are still SUNK because this child was left with injuries. They can hem and haw all they like but the facts remain the same.

"He asked us to beat him" is not a very good defense and won't hold up in a court of law. Blaming a kid for beating him black and blue is beyond the pale.

I will not be around today to moderate comments. I won't turn off comment moderation because my children have received many threats against them since yesterday. To the kids who think they are anonymous on the internet....think again. I am logging your IP number and all it takes for me to trace you is to have anything happen to either of my children at school. Then I will get a subpoena for the IP's that have shown up on my site threatening my kids, take it to the ISP and have them tell my attorney who you are. It's very simple.

When that happens you will wind up in juvenile jail for assault and battery. I'd hate for that to happen. I know kids are very upset that a favorite teacher is involved in this. I don't like juvenile jail any more than I like adult jail and fight to keep kids out of it every day. But, if any of the kids who have made threats follow through with them I will have them locked up for assault and battery. I won't hesitate. For someone to stoop so low as to threaten my kids with violence because I spoke out against violence is very sick. I recieved many comments overnight that appear to be kids advocating for the right to be beaten by this coach. It is most bizarre! I guess this is how Coach Keith taught his pupils to deal with their problems. Nice!

It's CHILD ABUSE!!!

BUMP & UPDATE:

I just saw the photos of the marks left on this kid for the first time. It was sickening!! There are three very clear red/yellow/purple impressions of something rectangular....a paddle. The family is meeting with my attorney this afternoon.

I did not go to the school this morning because I had no definite proof that everything was as it was being portrayed...but I will be out there tomorrow morning. The only additional things I would add that I have learned is that the kid who got beaten was also wearing an earring and that the Coach did take him to the office where the prinicpal of the school witnessed the ATTACK! I will be talking with an attorney about where I have the right to be on school grounds or if I have to be off school grounds. I feel, since I am a parent with children enrolled there, then I have every right to be on campus protesting their continued employment of a child abuser.

If there are any attorneys reading this who know the answer to that question please let me know.

Updates will continue as things unfold.

Loretta Nall

My husband just came home from work and told me a horrific story about a kid who is my sons age (14) getting beaten black and blue by one of the coaches where he goes to school. My son also goes to that school and my husband works with the other kids mom.

On Valentines Day this woman's son was caught chewing gum in class. A Coach grabbed him up by the seat of his pants and started beating him with a paddle. When his mom got home late that night one of her other kids told her that their brother had been spanked at school and that his butt hurt. The next morning when the kid got up he was black and blue, his spine is messed up and his eyes are swollen terribly.

They took him to the hospital and they are not sure at this point what is damaged. They also filed a police report and the police said "Well, there's nothing we can do because you have to prove criminal intent."

BULLSHIT!!!
Leaving a bruise on a child is CHILD ABUSE. That's a CRIME. You don't need criminal intent when you actually have evidence of a CRIME. If she ahd beaten her kid like that and sent him to school she would be in jail.

This family is new here. They moved down from Michigan and corporal punishment was outlawed years ago there. They did not know that Alabama still did it or that they could opt out. The school did not call and see if corporal punishment was ok with the mom and dad.

I am DISGUSTED and OUTRAGED!!! I called the school and told the lady in the office to check my kids schedules to see if they had any classes with this Coach. She wanted to know why and I told her about this incident. She said, "Well...I have never heard that. I know Coach *******. He is my sons baseball coach and we have never had any problems."

I said, "Yeah, well you work in the office so he probably would never strike your kid. The family, the police and the hospital have photos of the abuse so you can doubt it all you want but it is true. The police and the family have already been to the school. I am telling you right now that Coach ******* is not to be allowed anywhere near my children for any reason whatsoever. Do you understand me? If ever a situation arises where he will be near them call me and I will come get them."

I am now working out how to get in touch with as many parents as possible with children at this school to call and demand that Coach ******* be fired, arrested and jailed. I think maybe even a protest is in order. I will not tolerate this man even being in the same building with my kids. He is a child abuser.

A little later on today I am going to visit the young boy and talk with his family about the best way to pursue legal action. I won't fucking rest until this giant wad of child abusing shit is locked away...for the safety of the kids and for his own safety....cause I can damn well promise you this....if it had been my kid who came home with brusies and an injured spine for chewing a piece of fucking chewing gum on Valentines Day the person who inflicted the bruises would be dead. Fuck the sorry ass police, ditto the court system...I would have killed him and taken what ever came after with a steel spine and the knowledge that I helped to rid the world of one more child abuser.

by
Loretta Nall

Addendum: Here is the part of the code of conduct that deals with corporal punishment.

PROCEDURES FOR CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

???? As a method to maintain discipline or to enforce school rules, a principal or principal?s designee, may administer corporal punishment through the moderate use of physical force or physical contact.? Such punishment shall be administered under conditions which do not hold the student to ridicule or shame.

???? Whenever corporal punishment is administered, a written report shall be made and a copy forwarded to the child?s parents.? A parent or guardian may request in writing that their son/daughter be exempted from corporal punishment and that an alternative punishment be given.? However, the school principal shall retain the authority to accept or reject the exemption request.? The request for exemption must be accompanied by the offering of an alternative disciplinary method by the parent or guardian that is acceptable to the principal.? When the alternative is determined by the principal to be ineffective, the use of corporal punishment may be reinstated.

????? The procedures listed below must be followed to guarantee proper and legally required due process on behalf of the student (For Class I and II Offenses):

The student must have been informed previously that his/her behavior could bring about the use of corporal punishment.
Prior to corporal punishment, initial efforts and/or alternative methods should be taken in attempt to modify the student?s behavior.
The administration of corporal punishment must occur in the presence of another professionally certified school employee, but only after:
a. The school employee is informed about the reasons for punishment in the presence of the student.

b. The student is given the opportunity to defend his/her position.