Teacher Banned After Ripping Out Boy's Insulin Pump

Teacher Banned After Ripping Out Boy's Insulin Pump

School Officials: Teacher Thought Pump Was Cell Phone

A substitute teacher in Lake County, Fla., was terminated and banned from teaching in the county after he ripped out a student's insulin pump during class apparently thinking it was a ringing cell phone, according to a Local 6 News report.

Officials said a ninth-grade student at East Ridge High School, who is a Type I diabetic, was in class Monday when his insulin pump began to beep, indicating he was low on insulin.

Witnesses said the class teacher, Richard Maline, 51, asked the student what the beeping was.

School officials said Maline then grabbed the device, thinking it was a cell phone beeping and detached the tube that connects the insulin pump to the student's leg.

http://www.local6.com/news/5056865/detail.html

People think that enforcing rules excuses their idiotic behavior.

It didn't work for the nazis in Germany, it shouldn't work for the nazis here in America.

no one ordered him to rip out children's insulin pumps

watch it, or you'll be next

though I certainly hope that the regular teacher had left notes indicating that the kid had an insulin pump that might beep. The student may not even have been able to answer him.

are Democrats and Liberals, like something on the order of 90% according to my wife who is active in the CTA.

of teachers. I went back to college after being discharged from the US Army, and got my teaching certificate in 1974. Your wife must get around if she can accurately categorize the "vast majority" of teachers.

particularly as they prepped to fight off the Governors initiatives. My observation is that meshes with what I saw when I was teaching.

but I can't speak to your wife's observations. (But I can't think of many Ehrlich initiatives that should not have been opposed.)

union and pro-public school.

That being said, I know that the teachers' unions have made this a far bigger issue than it needs to be.

The ADA even has advisors for parents whose children have faced problems on campus.

Which was quite traumatic considering my wife is a strongly pro union teacher as was I when I taught. (Still pro union, but am doing other things now). In our case they were protecting a member who had clearly crossed the line of acceptable behavior which added insult to injury in our minds at the time.

Its behind us, but such actions give support to the things that the Schwarzenegger and others are trying to do and make my wife's efforts harder every day.

I don't know the political leanings of the subject of the posted story (my guess would be apolitical, but that's a complete guess), but I am pretty sure that the percentage of teachers who are Democratic is higher at a union meeting in California than it is among all teachers in Lake County, FL.

didn't the NEA endorse Gore in 2000? I would say that the vast majority of teachers are in NEA. PWNED!!!!!

Teachers are lockstep liberals? Teachers are dupes? The fact that the "vast majority" of teachers belong to NEA is equally as shocking as the fact that the vast majority of long-haul truckers belong to the teamsters. How would you describe them?

Though, I was a teacher for years, and my husband is a teacher now. (In NYC.) The majority of teachers that he works with ARE liberals. (And this is at a Catholic High School.) My best friend teaches in Los Angeles, and it's the same there. But, those are coastal examples. I'm sure the statistics are VERY different if you are teaching in Texas or Kansas.

are white males. does that mean they all voted for Kerry?

I know, it doesn't make sense.

I think it depends on the general area. How a teacher could be a republican I'll never understand.

My fellow District Chair here in AZ who is a guidance counselor says at least half the teachers in her schools vote Repuke. Yeah, I know it's like shooting themselves in the foot, but they do.

Given that this is a serious matter but no mention is made that this incident caused harm to the child and that the teacher was most likely just guilty of being ignorant about insulin pumps...that being understood:

BWAAAAAAHAAHAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:thumbsup:

If I were the parent of this kid one of two things would happen

1. Massive lawsuit against the school

2. Severe beatdown of the teacher to the point where he would need several devices to chew food and breathe.

That kid's college just got paid for!!!!

I'd consider assault for starters!

There must be many schools in that county that he can be sent to. BTW, he looks like a brute type.BIG burly guy who just might like having some smaller people to push around. What a jerk.

I swear that state is nothing but trouble

The inevitable "only in Florida" post. This thread is now complete.

This former Miami resident (NE 51st, baby!) chooses to take the high road, for once.

MojoXN

Damn new intravenous, insulin-providin' walkie-talkies these kids are wearin' nowadays!

that this student was diabetic and wearing a pump. If he was not informed by school health official or administration, others are at fault here as well.

to leave subs a folder or lesson plans with information included to let the sub know if there are any health issues, behavior issues, etc.

But hell, the way the states are about licensing substitutes (some states requiring just a high school diploma), just about any old fool can get into a classroom.

and we had a face to face with each teacher and coach before school started. Now he is a substitute teacher.

How long does it take to ask what the device is,
and listen to the answer?
Prior notification is hardly necessary for such
a mundane situation.

What if it actually _WAS_ a cell phone;
would that have justified this teacher's actions?
I think not.

It's not as if the pump resembled a WEAPON;
I would agree that a sub needed to be advised if it did.

This teacher is a JERK, and he finally got called on it.

resolved the situation.

Instead, the guy has 25 potential prosecution witnesses to assault ond battery.

It was inane of him, and if he reacts like this in a situation like this, he shouldn't be teaching, even as a sub.

It's important for teachers to know about a medical condition like that, because if something happened to go wrong with the pump, they would at least know that there was some manner of medical history there.

That having been said, the teacher sure as hell should have given the kid the chance to reply. Those few seconds of stupidity have cost this character his job (and likely his career), and rightfully so.

and didn't like it. I thought a lot of the situations could be avoided if people just shut up a second and listened to what someone was trying to tell them. Whelp, I was wrong. This teacher is case in point.

god dam are these people just that hard headed?????

when they're done with the school district.

I realize that teachers have a lot to cope with nowadays, but has this person never seen an insulin pump? A woman just walked past my shop window an hour ago with one in her hand. She must have been reattaching it under her clothes.

I hope the child in question is fine, and was able to reattach the pump.

Julie

It IS near the start of term, but I thought teachers were required to know if the kids in their charge have conditions such as diabetes, asthma, epilepsy and so on. Especially if an IV is needed.

Here it is, the middle of October. School has been in session for a month or more in most places. That's typically plenty to time to at least get the basics of one's students.

Sheesh.

this kid is going to get tons of money out of it is ridiculous, IMO.
Are there any long term consequences of the teacher's actions? I think not. Then WTF is he going to get the money for to "rename the school" or "fund stem-cell research" for?
:eyes:

It's like "lawsuit" is the automatic response to everything - what the teacher did isn't trivial, but it's not a sue-'em-for-millions kind of thing. People do stupid and/or cruel things all the time, but not every trauma or misdeed is grounds for a suit.

Punish the teacher, institute policies to prevent a recurrence, apologize to the kid and family, compensate him for any actual injury - those are the responses that are required...

I won't go into the details of what could have happened--and you are right, money is a minor issue here--but the consequences of this boneheaded action could have resulted in infection (diabetics are enormously vulnerable to them), ketoacidosis, or death.

If you want the uglier details as to how it all occurs, I'll happily provide.

I've lived with that kind of ignorance since age 7 and I'm fucking as hell tired of it.

Are you calling me ignorant? Your post sounds angry, and I can't tell if you're aiming it at me...

For the record - I think this is a very serious thing that the teacher did, and he should be punished, fired, charged, whatever. As I said, the school district needs to make sure it never happens again, and needs to make amends to the student/family. What I don't think is that this (or most other situations where people behave stupidly or maliciously) is or should be the ticket to the big-bucks payout.

I've been insulin dependent since age 7 with some of the subsequent secondary complications.

You are right, this shouldn't be a meal ticket--it ought to be criminal. If it hadn't been an insulin pump, how long before this guy would have slapped a child or shoved him against the wall?

What he did to THIS child could have deadly or debilatating consequences. Had they happened, do you think the parents should be okay with "sorry?"

what else? maybe some education for other teachers about medical devices, fine. or better screening and training of subs. that would be a good legacy.

And the school district should pay for any relevant medical expenses (changing the tube, replacing the pump, hospitalization if neccesary) and any emergency expenses incurred. But where does the cash come in?

Money is the only thing these idiots understand.

A huge monetary settlement won't undue the damage, but it always make one take notice, and I bet you that many others will think twice before responding like this!

A huge monetary settlement is WELL CALLED FOR here!

wouldn't malpractice be decreasing? anyway, how does a financial settlement from the school district going to change the behaviour of the individual involved? It wasn't the school board who did it, it wasn't the taxpayers' action, it was an individual.

so, how will a district paying out taxpayer money help stop another idiot from doing the same thing? wouldn't it be better to sue the teacher in particular?

look, I am all in favour of financial pursuit of individuals as a corrective activity, sue the teacher, not the district. if there is a problem with a doctor, sue that doctor, not the hospital (unless the hospital had something to do with it, of course)

but explain how suing a government entity, for the stupid action of one person, with no pattern of behaviour inside the district, taking money from the education system, is going to change behaviour? you sue a company, it loses money and the shareholders get pissed. you sue a doctor, he loses money. you sue a school district, who loses the money, exactly? it's not coming out of the paychecks of the adminstrator, or the school board, right? it comes from somewhere else.

yes, a school district that practices systematic discrimination should be sued, not for money, but for change. It's stupid to sue the taxpayers.

that said, they'll probably give him 20-25 grand or so, or the annual cost of education 4 kids.

cases before it!

Don't believe me? - Then look around you at all the corporate and other policies and lectures and lessons being constantly taught for everybody around the counntry!

You are deluding yourself if you don't think huge monetary settlements affect anything!

It sure will make the school district develop a clear and better policy, I bet my life on it!

the government of the District of Columbia has paid out over 50 million dollars in lawsuits to settle special education cases. Ask anyone if it's getting better.

a government entity doesn't care about losing money in lawsuits, it's not their money let me repeat that it's not their money it doesn't affect anyone's bottom line, anyone's bonuses, anyone's career. The money is irrelevant. If, for instance, you obtained a court order that better training was mandated, that's a victory that will change things. But you could win $100,000,000 in compensatory damages, and the district won't care, since the taxpayers foot the bill. In fact, you're giving them an excuse to fail, since they can blame you taking the money for their inability to enact change.

Google, if you will, "police department lawsuit, excessive force" and you get 387,000 hits. Is that having any impact on police brutality?

You speak of great civil rights legistation. Name on landmark civil rights case that changed the way government does business that involved monetary awards. Brown v. Board of Education? how much money changed hands there? was it the money that changed forced schools to desegregate, or the court order to do so? effective civil rights lawsuits, against government entities, aren't looking for money, they are looking for court orders to change behaviour.

you are right that taking money from individuals and corporations can change things, they don't like to lose money. The government doesn't care about the money, until you start getting into the hundreds of millions, at which point it will be thrown out on appeal. Sue for a court order to change things, if you want, but getting money from the government won't change a thing, except your pocketbook.

That's not to say that there aren't cases in which compensation is due, and I have laid out what I think the liability should be in this case.

not about ugly possible details here, just in general about these pumps when going well.
Does the pump give low intermittent steady doses and keep a steadier level then shots? Does it also do blood checks and automatically adjust the dose?
If not yanked out by crazed teachers or accident are they pretty easy to maintain?
I keep hearing so much about research in diabetes and hope for a link in progress. In the mean time I hope pumps make things easier. You can tell I don't know anything about them.

It must be hard for teens with diabetes (and their parents) with all the fluctuations in the body, activity, temptations of diet and freedom. It sure calls for an earlier maturity and responsibility, there are such consequences.

I didn't read past your post yet. Sorry if you already talked about all this, I'll catch it down thread.

fit the personal needs and situations. Also, when eating or with elevated glucose, a bolus dose can be programmed. It's the closest thing possible to the islet of Langerhans where insulin is produced in most people.

It's incredibly easy to maintain, far easier than injections.

At the moment, they are unable to coordinate glucose testing with the pump, but that is expected to happen with my pump (a simple upgrade) within THIS YEAR! When that occurs, my pump will automatically deliver a bolu to correct any high glucose I have.

Adn yes, my teen years were incredibly difficult. Back then we only had injections.

I can't believe the difference it makes in her blood sugar control. Her A1C has fallen steadily since she went on it. The improvement in her lifestyle is fantastic as well!

av8rdave

diabetic coma, then he or his parents could sue and win a gazillion $$$.
But just cause something could have happened but didn't, doesn't mean someone is entitled to a gazillion $$$. For instance, if someone crosses the street and is almost hit by a car, this someone won't get shit unless this car actually hits him.

A Lawsuit is not the proper response. What WOULD have been the proper response would be for one of the larger kids to get up and beat the shit out of the teacher.

No lawsuit necessary.

>it's not a sue-'em-for-millions kind of thing. People do stupid and/or cruel things all the time, but not every trauma or misdeed is grounds for a suit.<

No, lawsuits are not always the answer. At the same time, this young man or woman is entitled to the most abject of apologies (I'd suggest written and face to face,) from this teacher. The young person's parents should also press charges for assault and battery on the teacher in question.

Unfortunately, most people prefer to make a financial payout than offer an apology. In my opinion (I'm not a lawyer,) this is most likely what will happen in this case, with the young person and the parents required to sign a gag order and a hold harmless. The publicity will be so bad that the school district will have no other choice, I believe.

Again, IMHO, YMMV. Some people don't learn until they sign a really, really big check, and sometimes they don't even learn then.

Julie

the teacher needs to be dealt with, and the district needs to not only apologize, but mean it, and make sure the problem is fixed. Charges against the teacher wouldn't bother me, either...

My objection is just to the idea that an event like this is like winning some sort of lottery...

If the district would prefer to sweep it under the rug with a check rather than a real accounting (and I think your prediction is fairly likely), then I think it's time for a new school board - but I won't hold my breath.

One final point, this sub is lucky..extremely lucky!

By ripping that student's pump out, he could have easily pumped hundreds of milligrams of insulin into the diabetic's body with a single stroke..possibly resulting in death.

An insulin pump holds as much as 300 units of insulin, enough to last a week, but just one unit is enough to cause insulin reaction. The pump, the insulin, and the tubing are expensive enough to put a rich man in the red for life!

If the kid is paid back for his damages, excellent. This school district better count itself lucky..the student is not dead, his pump is not broken, and he was already low on insulin. They should accept responsibility and make sure it never happens again!

As far as I can recall, I've seen only one insulin pump in my life. Actually that one was on one of my students, and oddly enough it never crossed my mind to tear it off her. This was bizarre behavior for the teacher - even if it had been a phone he was wrong.

I might cut him a tiny bit of slack if it had been a phone and if there had been repeated problems with phones and this student, but that wasn't even the case...

just getting caught is really painful for him..when it happens with a sofset, everyone in the house hears the scream. With a bent needle the pain is even worse, but at least a needle slides back in!!

I can also see it from the sub's perceptive..one minute he was removing a noisy distraction, an instant later he's yanked a box with a needle pumping insulin out of some kid's belly!

This entire episode is disgusting, but it must never happen again..to a sub or student!

behavior.

If it hadn't been a mediacl device, something else sometime would have made him crack.

It would take considerable force for someone to do this, that I can tell you.

I think that's definitely true - there's not even any way of knowing that this wasn't the first time he got violent. And while I wasn't there, this sounds like he was really out of control - he should have known it wasn't as cell phone as soon as he saw it, definitely when he saw the tube, and absolutely for certain when he felt resistance from the tube being attached to the student (ignoring the fact that he would have been wrong even if it had been a cell phone). The fact that he didn't recognize these clues and control himself is a bad sign...

The district has a clear responsibility to ensure that this never happens again, and that this student (and others in similar situations) are and feel safe and comfortable coming to school.

No need to apologize for being angry - we should all get angry when we see things like this, and it is certainly more intense when it hits close to home. In your shoes, I'd think any hint of trivializing this event would be pretty offensive.

Unfortunately one killed himself because he was unable to find work. He was also one of the best carpenters I have ever known, I admired him..and wanted to be like him when I was a child.

All pump users I know wear it for the same reason, it helps them to control their medical problem..instead of the other way around. They also tend to tuck the tubing in a pocket, and try to keep the pump out of sight. This allows them to prevent this medical problem from become the first thing people notice about them!

Unfortunately this is probably why the teacher thought that pump must be a beeper or cell phone..until it was too late. I believe the sub probably felt he should have been told, I also know the student rightly felt his diabetes was not another person's business.

Neither person is the victim or bully. If we had universal healthcare..money wouldn't be an issue in this case! Then privacy of students, the responsibility of teachers, and how to best handle such medical problems could be the focus of attention.

sad, too.

The lack of quality teachers, the lack of health care, the lack of knowledge, the paranoical fear of anything sharp (thanks, GW), the powerlessness of students, and it goes on and on and on.

It's not like suing Walmart because their greeter intentionally tripped you.

some serious damage. That lawyer was very successful and got millions in medical negligence lawsuit. This boy had his pump replaced by a nurse. What damage did he suffer? And I don't care that something terrible could have happened in a situation such as this. Yes, it could have, but almost doesn't count.

Having your pump reattached by a nurse is free. The level of hysteria associated with this boggles my mind. I mean, if they boy fell into diabetic coma due to this, or suffered other long term consequences, it would be one thing. But he just had to have his pump reattached.

do you think it was outrageous for the sub to yank the childs pump? Honestly.

Put the imaginary lawsuit aside and consider the adults actions.

My hub's cousin was run over (with several of her pals) and killed by a CTA double-length bus that was speeding (over 65 in a 45 zone).
The cover-up was sooo atrocious that the families (who were NOT going to sue-- they parents collectively agreeed that it was a terrible accident) eventually filed suit in order to get some CTA drivers chronic problems out to the media & public, and more importantly as to FIND out the results of the investigation.

Unfortunately people must sometimes threaten legal action in order to get any sort of just treatment.

different.

He should deal with it and get over it, the crybaby!

Boy, you really are ignorant of what actually occurred!

Ever been in the hospital? Ever have an IV taped to your body?

Now imagine having it ripped out, not carefully removed. Having it carefully removed is extremely painful!

You show your ignorance on this subject many times over.

The kid should just get over it as long as the idiot apologizes.

Yeah right.

Sad but true.

If you cause an accident (or are involved in one) do NOT apologize in writing or before potential witnesess.

Happens all the time.

Corporations can pass on costs by raise prices. Government can raise taxed and take your property. What can the little folk do?

Jay

The responsibility lies with the school administrators and school board to remedy the situation - that may include apologizing, retraining teachers, firing the offender, replacing damaged equipment and so on.

If the school board fails in its responsibility, then actions like criminal complaints, attending school board meetings, and recall elections are some possibilities.

Lawsuits are not out of the question, but I object to the idea that they are the first and only course of action...

This substitute teacher could be held liable for criminal child endangerment charges, IMHO. If they take this to civil court, the kid will have money to wallpaper his bedroom with!

The kid's pump was beeping, meaning it was running low on insulin. He needed to have it refilled asap. He's type-one, meaning his blood sugar levels will start to rise without the insulin, which causes kidney damage, blood vessel damage, danger of DKA, etc.

Here's a quote from Diabetes.org:http://www.diabetes.org/for-parents-and-kids/diabetes-care/ups-and-downs.jsp

"Pumps are flexible, but they can be unforgiving. Because pumps use only short acting insulin, any disruption in the flow of insulin for whatever reason -- from an empty reservoir to a kinked line or lose set to low batteries -- can cause blood sugars to quickly shoot dangerously high. Manufacturers have built-in remarkable alarms to avoid those dangers. But the wearer must be prepared to deal immediately with any trouble."

And just as this is happening, the teacher yanked the pump out of the kid's leg... Oh yeah, this kid could have a really nice college fund if they pursue a lawsuit.

They should OWN the town, let alone the school!

Aren't these things attached with needles like an IV? And this idiot RIPPED IT OUT! Do you even KNOW how painfull that must've been?

Can you think?

They deserve all the millions they get.

I'm a diabetic but don't need the pump - maybe YET.

He is glad he didn't do this to ME! He would be a lot less of a "man" long ago!

My daughter is a type 1 and wears a pump. Yanking a pump out can cause all sorts of problems: hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis (potentially life threatening), not to mention infection from the site where the cannula is inserted. That teacher's behavior was so beyond the pale that it defies any understanding.

If nothing else, gross violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

av8rdave

My dad had adult onset diabetes and he took pills and then later insulin via syringe. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a pump, but it makes sense.

Think of an IV on steroids.

It's not attached by remote control and the insulin isn't just "wished" into the body!

Tubes. Plastic. Large. Needles.

Very painful.

"Assault": Any attempt to unlawfully another, whether successful or not, provided the target is aware of the attempt and is placed in fear of the touching.

"Battery": Any actual intentional touching of someone, with an actual or "apparent" intent to harm, or in a "rude and insolent manner" even if the injury is slight. Battery is a crime and also the basis for a lawsuit as a "tort" (civil wrong) if there is any damage.

"Assault and Battery": The combination of the threat (assault) and actual touching (battery). The combination of "assault" and "battery" is also intentional "tort" civil wrong for which the party attacked may file a suit for damages, including punitive damages.

"Respondeat Superior": Latin for "let the master answer," a key doctrine in the law of agency, which provides that a principal (employer) is responsible for the actions of his/her/its agent (employee) in the "course of employment." Thus, if a delivery truck driver negligently hits a child in the street, the company for which the driver works will be liable for the injuries.

BIG LAWSUIT

I substitute in our school system, and am familiar with how the sub system works in different states. Basically, the sub is not really expected to teach, but only to keep order in the class, so the credentials requirements for a sub are very low.

All that is needed is a High School diploma. (I have a Master's.) Occasionally, with any system, a travesty will occur. In the U.S. there are millions of subs that are used every year. Everybody stop and remember you own school days and how often you had subs.

So don't tar and feather the entire education system of millions of people, especially the regular teachers, over ONE idiot.

Nor do you need any new procedures in some manual. You can never write enough procedures to cover everything. NOTHING can replace common sense and judgment.

I expect that this sub will probably be facing criminal charges as well as a civil lawsuit.

This is far removed from standard procedure in any classroom. As a teacher, I do my best not to be gone; you never can tell what's going to happen when you're gone. Not on the kids' part, and not on the sub's part. Still, districts have programs and procedures in place, with varying degrees of success, to support subs and teach them how to manage a class. This sub would be fired from any district I've ever worked in. Every person who works with other people's kids needs to be educated about what kind of disciplinary action is ok, and what is not.

I've been accused of overkill when writing sub plans; too much information, too much detail, and my cell # left in case the sub has a question or needs help with a student. If I were writing plans for this year, I'd have to leave specific health concerns, notes, and procedures for 6 different kids out of 90. Considering the coming and going of the kids, the number of kids with the same first name, etc., a sub could easily get confused about which kid must go to the restroom every 30 minutes, which can't be outside if the temperature drops below a certain degree, which has to eat at least once an hour, which is the diabetic, which has asthma, which cannot come in contact with glue, and which is the cardiac patient that needs a 911 call immediately if certain signs are present.

The real issue here is that the sub reached out to grab or yank something away from a kid. A simple question about the device would have prevented the "grab." Common sense, as you said.

Often, I walk into a class with NO information, except the roll sheet. Almost every classroom has a computer and a printer. A teacher could easily have the basic information on a form in the computer and print it out for me. It would only take a few seconds.

However, in fairness, I have to ad that I live close to the school and am usually home, so if an unplanned need arises - I get the call. In those cases the teacher often hasn't had a chance to leave anything for me.

Again. Common sense can see a person through. Today I saw a kid with a cell phone out. The rules call for me to take it up and turn it in to the office. Instead I just told him to put it in his pocket and don't let me see it again. He did.

the teacher's need to establish authority. I call it "getting big." A horse-training term, but it applies in classrooms as well. Teachers who feel comfortable with the students, and confident about their role and their relationship with them, tend to respond in a measured, reasonable way. The rule of thumb I've always followed is this: Only get as "big" as is necessary to get resolution; never get "bigger" than you need to.

I'm reading through all the horror stories about substitutes on this thread. I want you to know how much a good substitute is valued and appreciated by classroom teachers. I've seen terrible substitutes and great substitutes. I've also known some terrible, as well as great, classroom teachers. Most of us fall somewhere in between.

So where do you get one of those fancy cell phones that has a fucking tube attached?

A substitute at 51: How much you want to bet that he's a subject specialist in a second career with no teaching education whatsoever?

They have no idea what the lesson plans are ('tho they're left in writing by the teachers) and have atrocious manners. One called our 4th grade neighbor "stupid" last year , in front of the entire class,yet.

:wtf: moment... :eyes:

you don't know the half of it.

Many districts will not allow even HS age kids to take their glucose monitoring kits and emrgency injectables into classrooms. They must be kept in the nurse's office--or not brought onto campus at all.

In an emergency, the time factor involved is a life or death issue.

http://www.diabetes.org/advocacy-and-legalresources/discrimination/school.jsp

When the JDF and ADA get their mitts on this one, this kid could fund stem-cell research for 20 years!

:mad:

First off, my sis (in her 30's now) has always had extremely brittle diabetes, and is prone to dropping blood glucose levels that even freaks out doctors.

Back when my sister was in grade school, my mom was told by the school nurse and school district that 1) the nurse was not allowed to administer glucagon shots in an emergency, and 2) that they would 'call my mom or 911' if she needed a shot.

We always asked, "Why do you have a school nurse then!?" if she can't do anything!

Plus, my sis was constantly being 'caught taking medicine' (the instant glucose gels) which wasn't allowed, since you weren't even supposed to take cough drops into the classroom... just stupid...

I thought we'd come so much farther now, but from reading your post, it sounds like the same crap is going on today. If I was a young person with diabetes, I'd always have my emergency injection in my purse.

I know from watching my sister have seizures that you can be unconscious in minutes... It's truly a life or death thing, and to not have the nurses or teachers trained to give these shots is just stupid.

With Diabetes website.

http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/index_cwd.htm

and had major problems at her high school

She was covered by a 504 plan and carried testing supplies with her. Had several teachers tell her she could not do what the district has explicitly okayed. We were able to work it out one on one with the exception of a particular PITA, who finally made statements on the record to the effect that it did not matter what the 504 plan or the ADA said, it was his classroom and he had the final say. With that in hand I took it to the administration and pointed out that I had a slam dunk ADA suit and that they needed to solve the problem so litigation was not necessary. They started to take action and then the teachers union intervened. Things went back and forth with my daughter basically being screwed by him and his supporters. We were finally told privately that the bubba was untouchable.

What a horrible situation... I feel so outraged for you and your daughter!

I don't get these people who think that somehow their 'rule of law' supercedes other people's health problems! How can they justify it in their minds? I just don't get it...
:banghead:

We pushed back hard and basically fought it to a draw. We went public and adopted a scorched earth policy since we were short timers and this was our last child in that school. District was not ready for that kind of activism. The ADA agreements are on record should someone else have the same kind of problems with the district/school/teacher. Its the best we could do to solve the long term problem.

The good news is that daughter is pretty well squared away and was leaving right after graduation to return to California with the rest of the family. I have another year in MD before I can join them

Thank you, on behalf of a family who has had to fight the school system! You did the right thing, and hopefully people following in your footsteps will have a better experience! I know my mom's ranting got some things changed for the better back in my old hometown...

You said you have another year in MD - am I prying if I ask why you are 'solo'? :)

Wife took a sabbatical and did research at JHU while I got a consulting contract. Midway through I was offered a much larger contract with a two year term. Could not pass up the money, so they went back (wife to teaching, daughter to college) and I am here maximizing income as they say. Hard trade, but with us going empty nest, a good one. Thus the name Solo in MD. I get out there once a month or so either on business or cheap fares. After this I can go back to California and stay in this line of work or even return to teaching. Ideally I would return to flying, but I am never going to get my medical back.

When I was at high school, I had to keep everything in the nurse's office.

Fortunately, it was a small school, and all my teachers knew I was diabetic, so a simple "I think my blood sugar's dropping" would suffice.

College is much better; I keep everything in my bookbag, and nobody cares.

touch her, nevermind rip the pump out. Why in hell didn't he just let the kid tell him, he shouldn't have touched the kid period.

The sub should have asked for the "cell phone", and in so doing, the child would have had a chance to explain that the beeping was caused from an insulin pump. End of story.
I don't understand what would possess an adult to physically assault a child to remove something from him.
For God's sake, this is the state that called the fucking police to handcuff a 4-yr old and now they are ripping insulin pumps out...aye aye aye...

holy fucking hell!!!!!

Stupid bastard.

didn't the sub allow the kid to answer? And why didn't another kid in the class stand up for the diabetic?

this teacher had no business putting his hands on the kid, if the kid wasn't a danger to himself or others. Apparently this substitute teacher thinks he's Wyatt Earp. I hope he never gets near a classroom again.

Having a diabetic child in school can be a complete nightmare. I had teachers who called me in high dudgeon to "inform" me that my son was a drug addict during our years of school, syringes and insulin. It was horrifying to me to think that someone who was a teacher could be so goddam ignorant and obtuse, but we had problems with every teacher, even though I met with all of them at the beginning of the school year and made the situation very clear to them. I don't know if they were totally brainwashed by the Nancy Reagan "say no to drugs" campaign or what, but far too many of them were simply convinced that those syringes meant that my second grader was "shooting up" in plain sight by injecting insulin into the fat layer of his belly.

intelligent.Personaltity plays a part in everyone's make-up.

I do, however, feel that once someone has been told that a child is an insulin dependent diabetic and will need to inject himself prior to lunch, particularly when the meeting has been reinforced with a letter from the child's doctor, that a teacher insisting on believing the eight year old child is a drug addict using illegal drugs goes beyond lack of intelligence.

If these people are supposed to be imparting knowledge as their profession, yet have such a problem learning something as simple as "insulin dependent diabetic needs to inject insulin and just because he gives himself a shot doesn't mean he's using heroin", it's no wonder the schools are such a mess in America.

I went to the website of the biggest player in the insulin pump market. All of their pumps look like beepers, not cell phones.

In fact, they look like very, very large beepers. No kid would be seen with a beeper that huge.

You'd think they would have told Maline about this student's pump.

but I would first ask why the sub didn't wait for an answer before taking a (what I would consider) militant action? Why did the administration not have not have an advisory system in place to inform substitutes of special conditions of the students in his care?

I would find it easy to fault the administration for not planning for this sort of situation. I would also question the judgement of the substitute (not in any way to question their credentials) for taking physical action for an inconvienient interruption.

Either way, I think it's a sad and avoidable situation. Quite possibly a result of the zero-tolerance mentality that values order over all else.

(Especially with a freaking nylon tube attached to it?

I'm livid--sorry.

Edit: It'a the same one I wear and about 2 by 3 inches in size.

My first thought was "Hey, that looks like a pager." Cellphones are pretty stylized these days, so I could well imagine a cellphone looking similar...

...though a nylon tube would be a pretty big hint that it serves a medical purpose upon closer inspection. Had the teacher shown a bit more self-restraint, it might've given him the seconds necessary to determine the device's purpose.

and most can't tell the difference. As close as the treacher had to get, he could not have missed the tubing, though.

People do wonder why I'm still carrying a pager that isn't part of my cell phone! :rofl:

There's no excuse. None. This guy shouldn't EVER be in a classroom again.

tubing was probably covered by his pants. While the teacher did a stupid thing, it hardly makes him public enemy #1. People do stupid things day in and day out, and those stupid things turn out way worse then this one.
Nothing particularly serious happened to this boy, all he had to do is to have his pump re-attached.
So, sorry, I don't think this teacher quite deserves to be hanged for what he did.

I wear one myself. It isn't like putting in your earrings.

It's a part of my body, for God's sake. That may not make sense to you, but that kid and I feel differently, believe me.

He ripped out a part of the kid's body--and it took a considerable degree of force, I migh add.

This was a violent act.

Let's see, an adult ripped a life sustaining device, which acts as the boy's islets of Langerhans, out of his body. The device had a NEEDLE which was inside the boy's body. This was forcibly ripped out. It could have been bent and left inside his body. It could have been broken off inside his body.

The device delivers a continual dose of insulin, which regulates the boy's blood sugar levels. If the boy is a brittle diabetic, which he probably is if he's using a pump, he could have gone into a coma very quickly, possibly before the pump could have been re-attached, particularly if he was in a school district where school nurses aren't allowed to deal with needles. Very likely he had to re-site the needle himself.

Stress does nasty things to diabetics' blood sugar levels. I would consider having someone ripping your insulin pump, upon which your life depends, a pretty high stress situation, wouldn't you? This boy might very well undergo a period of high sugars or low sugars as a result of this incident. It could take days or even weeks for things to settle down.

Every time a diabetic ends up with high blood sugar, damage is done to that person's body which will invariably lead to complications, including but not limited to blindness, kidney failure, impotence for men, reduced circulation in the extremities that can lead to amputation of the feet or legs, heart damage and stroke. This is why it's so vital that the blood sugar be kept within normal limits. So if this boy underwent a period of high blood sugar which will add to his risk of serious complications, this teacher's completely unnecessary act has far more serious ramifications that you seem to think.

In the long run, the teacher was out of line, completely, whether it was a cellphone or an insulin pump. He had no goddamn business getting physical with that kid in any way unless the kid was an immediate danger to himself or others. That's the rule in public school districts.

The teacher violated this boy's human and civil rights. He acted like an idiotic hothead out of his ignorance, when simply waiting for a response to his question before ripping off the kid's insulin pump would have prevented the entire situation.

Tell you what - let's put a needle in your body at the end of a tube and then rip it free and see if you still feel as if it's no big deal. Then add to that the factor of the medication the needle and pump are delivering being vital to not only your future health, but your life itself.

With this freaking lawsuit happy society, who do you think ends up paying for those lawsuits? It got to the point where school nurse wouldn't administer anything to a child, unless she has written permission from the parents, out of fear of being sued. Yes, the guy ripped off the device. He didn't do it maliciously, he thought it was a pager or a cell phone. Listening to some of you, it's like the end of the world.
Nothing serious had happened to this boy. And if it did, it would be another story. But it didn't. You can't sue because something horrible might have happened, but didn't. It doesn't work that way.

They are only supposed to get physical if a child is physically out of control, and poses a danger to himself, others or property. That is the ONLY time teachers are supposed to use physical means. Whether he meant to be malicious or not, the moment he laid hands on that pump, he was out of line, and breaking the LAW. It IS a big deal.

This man had NO reason to rip away anything, cellphone, insulin pump or model racing car. If he felt that there was something that should have been confiscated as being against school rules, he should ask the child to give it to him. If the child refuses, off to the office with the child. Physical stuff like this is not supposed to happen unless the kid is violent and must be restrained.

The teacher is out of line, and obviously is not someone who should be teaching. He has violated someone's human and civil rights, and could be prosecuted for several crimes for what he did. This is not a "no big deal" situation.

You also have no idea that nothing happened to the boy. The story linked to is rather terse. We don't know if he's had complications as a result of what happened - complications that could include infection (diabetics are very prone to infection), blood sugar levels out of control, and possible future problems. It could take days or weeks for problems to emerge in this situation. Take it from the parent of a diabetic kid who used a pump. This story just might not be over.

You can't just say "well, nothing happened, no biggie" when the reality was that someone physically assaulted someone else, and removed a life-preserving device - particularly when the person who did so is prevented, by law, from doing such a thing.

The teacher broke the law, and should be charged. It will remain to be seen what happens with the kid - hopefully, he's fine, and no lawsuit will be necessary. But a case should certainly be made to the effect that teachers just cannot do things like this. If they feel that a kid has something that is contraband, there are other ways to deal with it than grabbing it and removing it forcibly.

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It gets old, doesn't it - all those "normals" out there who believe diabetes is not a big deal. I wish I had a dollar for everyone who has told me "well, that's no big deal these days, it's easy to control" or " lots of kids live with diabetes, it's no big deal". Even better, the people who say "my Aunt Susie has 'sugar' and it's no big deal, she just takes her pills and eats whatever she wants!" People have absolutely no idea what insulin dependent diabetics have to live with on a moment to moment basis.

If that kid was on a pump, it's a big deal, because that means he can't be controlled with the injections alone. He could have gone into shock instantly when that asshat ripped his pump out.

I've often told people who shrugged off my son's condition as "no biggie" or told him how he could have such a "normal" life that my dearest wish is for them to become insulin dependent diabetics, and face up to everything someone with Type One Diabetes has to know is in the cards for them every second of their life.

You'll find lots of comfort, empathy, and knowledge there.

I was diagnosed at 7 and am fortiesh now.

If people had only an inkling of the time, details, and logistics involved with dealing with diabetes, they would be more sympathetic.

Please do join us--if nothing else, it helps tremendously to know we share so many of the same battles.

At this point, my boy is an adult, and his diabetes control is up to him - sadly, he does not control it well, and has adopted other habits that are very bad for his health. There comes a time when a parent can't control the situation.

I will indeed check out the forum - have a few chronic conditions of my own that make some days seem really insurmountable!

I became pregnant.

I've had some secondary complications too. I was first diagnosed when glucose control was peeing in a cup and doing a labe experiment!

We've come a long way since then.

It's a very common disease.

feel free to join us if you'd like.

It's bad enough I have to give myself injections or prick myself to test - I can't imagine how difficult it is for a child! (Why are you hurting me Mommy?! Why do you have to prick me, Daddy?!)

Some children have to have about 11 injections a day! ELEVEN!

I can't believe some heartless and clueless people here!

It was hard, and thankfully, my adopted son was able to inject and test himself from the start (diagnosed age 9). I can't imagine what the parents of children who are diagnosed as infants go through.

The hardest thing was seeing a carefree kid having to lose that quality. Worse, as my son became an adult, he has chosen to take serious risks with his health, and does not control his diabetes well. Though he is only 22, he is already having serious complications. He is not expected to live long because of his actions.

People have the weirdest notions of how long a diabetic can survive without insulin, or without proper diet - or what causes diabetes. If I had a dollar for every jerk who told me that it was my fault that my son had diabetes and that it was caused by me giving him "too much candy", I would be able to buy my own small island somewhere.

I can't imagine eleven injections a day - we managed with up to five, and then had to go for the pump. Keeping kids aware of the diet necessary is tough too, because at a certain age, they're just programmed to start bucking Mom and Dad anyway - something that for a diabetic, can be fatal.

listening to the student.

Instead, he performed a VIOLENT act--it would have needed considerable force to remove it from the location it was attached.

Address your obsession with lawsuits in another thread--those of us who require insulin and medication, and the adults who would have acted like adults in dealing with this situation, have every reason to be breathing fire.

So, as long as no permanent harm comes, people can just go around and assault people with impunity? That is ridiculous. You are defending the wrong person. Ripping out someone's insulin pump is not acceptable, and it doesn't matter if "no damage occurred".

No big deal.

I hope this happens to you and then you can come back here and tell us diabetics it's "no big deal".

This was not just "another stupid thing"!

Get a clue "honey"!

You are woefully ignorant on the subject!

Stop it already!

It IS a BIG DEAL.

The boy could have not only gone into instant shock, but BLED TO DEATH from a ruptured vein/artery!

Just due to LUCK he was OK!

God, some people!

The teacher should be punished for doing this.

That's like beating the hell out of someone and then saying 'oh, well, they didn't die, no big deal'.

If that had been my kid, I guarantee you I would file charges against the abuser. Screwing around with something like this isn't something to be taken lightly.

but there are some carve outs. Not sure what they are these days. Doubtful illegal actions like assault are covered.

But I could smell it a mile away. Stupid state of mine...

It doesn't seem to be the case as much any more, but I'm from Michigan and I can remember the "Oh, God, I bet this happened in Michigan..." feeling. It looks like they passed it on to Florida. I'm so sorry. :hug:

He was always knocking students around in class.

Once I made a remark he didn't like. I had a loose tooth, a crown installed by an incompetant dentist. As usual he came over and punched me in the jaw.

I deliberately removed my tooth.

That stopped that shit.

:mad:

I am angry right now at reading this.

I can't imagine how angry I would be if I was this student's father.

Yeah, I guess you could say that. in his attempt to be King of the Classroom, he's lost his job, probably shouldn't use that school system as a reference, and opened himself and his ex-employer up to all KINDS of expensive legal problems.

Wonder how he'd like a little BiggJawn style "Diabetes Advocacy", like a boot so far up his ass he can taste my toes?

Fuck-up. Probably would whine for hours on how much HARD WORK it is to control a classroom these days...

BiggJawn. Type II since 2000.

I enjoy hearing your take on the situation :evilgrin:.

If I can help provide a little BiggJawn Advocacy, say the word.

I. Am. Seething.

(And looking forward to the reaction of the ADA and JDF, both of which have been involved in the schools lately.)

Granted, it may just be an "isolated incident" involving a clueless dumbass with "issues", but it's obvious to me that there is more education needed in our culture at large.

The bigger the deal made about this NOW, the less likely it is to happen again in the future.

I've been type II since I think 1998 or 1999.

It's no "fun" I can tell you.

And most General Practitioner doctors don't know SHIT about how to treat it!

In fact they make things WORSE!

The teacher or school should pay the parents back for the insulin, lost pump supplies, and anything else that was damaged!


My diabetic relative gets hell daily for the occasional noise his suspended pump makes. But restarting it, ie stopping the noise, can result in convulsions. The noise reminds him to restart the pump, check his blood-sugar, or that he should change the batteries. But giving someone in hell more hell is simply unacceptable in my opinion!! :grr:

Unfortunately all diabetics get this unending shit, and when will it ever end? Even nicely telling the teachers before class, as my cousin says.."usually rubbed them the wrong way.."

Face it, sticking big needles into my belly or leg just to live or eat, is only my business!! If I was forced to tell others about that, they would also receive an unforgettable punch in the face!!! I will never know how diabetics can do that without losing it!!

of empathy helps more than you may ever know.

the teacher or principle who failed to inform that sub of certain student's medical problems demonstrates an even larger failure. The substitute has probably learned his lesson, but even if he hasn't..it will be his last screwup in that school system! I believe the school system, or the absent teacher should be responsible for this student's damages.

>The teacher or school should pay the parents back for the insulin, lost pump supplies, and anything else that was damaged!<

Absolutely. If I recall correctly, these pumps are hugely expensive, and I'm sure the ancillaries that accompany them aren't cheap, either. The child in question will also most likely be visiting the doctor to make sure everything was replaced correctly and there are no further problems, and that visit should be covered as well.

Again: The smartest thing the teacher in question could do is to offer an abject apology to child and parents. It's probably not going to happen without some seriously negative financial repercussions...

Julie

The ancillary supplies are the real killers. a box of ten tubing kits is about 150 dollars, the reservoirs are approximatley 200.

They need replacement every 2-3 days.

Even in college you're supposed to let your teachers know about things with disabelities or whatever. How could the teacher not know about it? Especially if the kid had it with him all the time.

He is a bully and a control freak and a danger to children.

He should be behind bars for threatening this kid's life. Stupidity and cruelty and control freak tendencies should be PAINFUL for the control freak.

child!

And he should be happy with just an apology or some other inadequate crap.

She even has more than one post trying to spew this crap!

It's fecking 2005, and people still act like freakin' cave dwellers. Nobody can possibly know everything. No one can ultimately control anyone but himself or herself.

And yet I see so many people (management types at work, especially) who have this inordinate need to micromanage everything around them, and to portray this image of knowing every fecking thing there is to know in the universe.

Do these types think that the rest of us buy their bullshit?

They sure as hell make life miserable. And they sure as hell should pay dearly for interfering with another person's physical well-being.

I had a Spanish teach who was clueless. Literally. For example she couldn't figure out why people wrote all the vocabulary words on their desk before taking a vocab test.

One of my friends was in the her class. He said one day a girl went to the bathroom. On her way back, she saw someone having a seizure. Naturally she went over to help and the Spanish teacher saw her (since it was right outside the classroom). The Spanish teacher told the girl to get back in class and then told the person in the floor to get up and go to their class. They ended up having to explain to the teacher what a seizure was while someone else went to get help.

good teachers out there, most of those that I encountered were on powere trips with the welfare of their students being the very last thing on their mind. Control and convenience trumped everything else to many (most?) of them.

the cell phone problem exists and more accidents like this thanks to technologically naive people are still going to occur.

I think cell phone companies should - and easily should put time blocks on cell phone numbers, like how that network server can allow people to login only between two different points every day. (of course, this common sense answer might eat away at their profits so they sure as hell won't do it... and everybody's offshoring anyway.)

.... my wife wears an insulin pump. It is literally her lifeline.

But I think the teacher made an honest mistake. Over zealous enforcement of the rules? Perhaps, but an honest mistake nonetheless.

I think losing his job is punishment enough - face it - how many of you would know what an insulin pump looks like and sounds like???

... unless the kid had been behaving violently, I'd never have laid hands on him in the first place. The was no excuse for this act of battery, even if the insulin pump had been a cellphone as the teacher had thought.

BUT THERE ARE FUCKING TUBES GOING INTO THE BODY!

Christ!

Losing his job is JUST THE START, IMO!

I have had Type 1 for 43 years.

So sorry that this guy's disrespect of children and authoritarian personality interfered with, oh, a life-threatening situation and all. When I was a kid, the kind of adults who wouldn't give kids enough respect to even listen to them say things like "don't disconnect that, I'm diabetic", instead just following their own distrust, sickened me. Doubly if they were in a position of authority. This guy should be thrown in jail; he needs some time to think about his issues.

Plus the parents need to sue the ass off of him. People like this student teacher usually need things to come down pretty hard on them before they learn a lesson (if they even do that at all).

We dont have all the facts and we were not there to know what was done or said. For all we know the kid was a wise ass who rolled his eyes and muttered "Yeah, man, it's a cell phone" meaning "Of course it isnt a cell phone, you idiot, it's an insulin pump" but the substitute teacher misunderstood.

And this could be the teachers only way of supporting himself and his invalid mother.

So think about how every story has two sides and about how unlikely it is that even a substitute teacher would knowingly unhook a child's medical devise...

Being a smartass doesn't mean it's okay for someone to rip your insulin pump out. If someone is so stupid that they can't tell the difference, then they should be a bit more careful about rushing to judgment. If he didn't take the time to find out what that object was before ripping it away, then he is liable. He's a hothead idiot who isn't fit to teach, and his actions are criminal.

Maybe you are so freaking smart that you could tell the difference. Most people wouldn't. The teacher, stupid as he is, didn't do it on purpose to hurt this child.

If he couldn't take the time to make sure he knew what he was dealing with before acting, that was his problem. And if he ripped it out with enough force to detach it, he was a hot head who didn't care if he hurt that kid and doesn't need to be teaching.

I don't know if the kid is entitled to millions, but his actions are indefensible and worthy of outrage.

Intentional or just stupid, his actions caused harm and he should be punished.

:sarcasm:
He had already been fired. What more do you want?

And then we'll put his head on a pike and quarter his body and send the pieces to all four corners of the country. Let's get medieval on his butt. :) :evilgrin:

It's the only thing they understand.

Apologies are only worth the paper the repukes have it printed on.

It don't cut it in this case.

I just hope you experience the same thing and then get back to us.

The teacher has been fired. Cash? Lots of it? Who ends up paying all this cash, do you have an idea? Do you think public schools are swimming in money? There are a lot more outrageous things going on in schools now days then a situation such as this, where a teacher was obviously mistaken, and believed the student had a beeping pager.

You know where you can get off "honey"!

Being fired IS being punished, when did I say I wanted more?

and we don't know if he said anything "smartass", the teacher broke the law the moment he became physical, unless the kid was presenting a physical threat to others, himself or property. Those are the only circumstances where a teacher is supposed to get physical, unless there is prior permission from the child's parents for corporal punishment in states that permit coroporal punishment.

He should never have put a hand on that kid, whether it was a cellphone or not. He has committed assault. He sounds like a hothead who acted before he had a chance to find out just what was going on. After all, even if it had been a cellphone, what would justify grabbing it and ripping it off someone's leg? There are other ways to confiscate a contraband item in a schoolroom.

As for his only support for himself and his invalid mother - if that is the case, you'd think he'd be a little more careful, wouldn't you? Even as a substitute teacher, he should know the laws and rules pertaining to getting physical with kids in the classrooms. If his livelihood depends on his work as a substitute teacher, that should be ample motivation for him to do the best job possible and not make major screw ups like this.

Sadly, some teachers really get off on being bullies, and this guy sounds like one. He needs to consider another line of work. Maybe as a bouncer at a bar or something. Hopefully he won't get work in a hospital where people have devices that beep.

personality or physical displays!

:sarcasm:

I watched Hubby put his foot through a door when his blood sugar was too high. And he has to take antidepressants as well as insulin. Diabetes is serious stuff. I hope that kid gets lots of emotional support. I have watched Hubby's health go downhill over the past several years due to his brittle diabetes and renal failure so I know the damage the disease can cause.

I would like to bounce that teacher's head off of a brick wall several times. Maybe it would knock some sense into him.

Just like we "don't have all the facts" about the Iraqi Torture? Or the WMD?

Yeah - we've heard it all before from apologists here.

Seriously, no one that reads fark.com from time to time and notices how there's a whole catagory for Florida news should be surprised.

We are truly insane as a country.

If she was not so mad that she felt she had to jerk what she thought was a cell phone instead of slowly remove it, she would of realized what was going on. Teachers of all people need basic anger management counseling and should get it often. It's not an easy job, but being a kid isn't either....

Geeze.

but common sense says to ask the kid what is it and once it's explained, then move on.

The teacher should be fired and ran out of town for being an ignorant idiot.

SHouldn't the teacher ask that it be handed to them. Then the kid can show the ass that it isn't a phone. Or send the kid to the office and have the principal or nurse write the idiot a note.

Schools will close soon enough and then we won't have to worry about stuff like this.