I bet he won't wear his costume next year . . .

[proud2BlibKansan]

Child disciplined for wearing Halloween costume to school

A Tulsa parent is outraged over how her child was disciplined at school for wearing a costume.

Crystal Harris says her 5-year old son was forced to take off his costume, and go through the entire school day with only his underwear on.

The incident happened Monday at Walt Disney Elementary.

School officials acknowledge they have a policy that forbids costumes, and that's why the teacher did what she did.

http://2worksforyou.com/news/stories/underwear.shtml

[Mnemosyne]

1. Yeah, humiliation is a great "family value" Argh! n/t

[JetboyOne]

2. This is a joke right!?!

Right!?!

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. I would hope so

But the source looks fairly credible.

[Walt Starr]

3. Do you smell that?

That's the smell of an UBERLawsuit.

That kid's parents now own that entire school district.

The teacher should be charged with sexual abuse of a child. The teacher is a baby raper, IMO.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. Rape?

It's public humiliation and it is disgusting but I don't see how you can call it rape.

[Walt Starr]

52. It was forced disrobing

That qualifies as rape in most states.

[Catch22Dem]

29. The teacher is a dumbass

But to label them a rapist is quite irresponsible.

[StrongbadTehAwesome]

4. Walt Disney Elementary??? n/t

[MissB]

6. Yeah, did he dress up as Goofy or something?

Unlicensed costume?

[babylonsister]

5. I'd sue their pants off on the grounds of cruelty to children!

That's despicable and could have long-ranging psychological implications!

[Berry Cool]

7. I see this kid and his mom appearing on Countdown with KO soon.

I don't think he could resist an absurd story like this...

[Walt Starr]

9. The teacher should be in jail!

I'd consider that sexual liberties with a minor. The entire thing reeks of pedophilia.

[proud2BlibKansan]

41. Oh come on!

Sexual liberties? Were pictures involved? :)

It is a horrifically stupid thing to do and the teacher should definitely be punished but calling it rape or sexual liberties is a tad bit extreme.

[Catch22Dem]

48. Agreed (n/t)

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. I agree it is horrible

But I also think this mom will be checking the backpack and reading the notes that are sent home from now on.

[Castilleja]

8. gods....that is nuts!

What do people have against kids these days. Whose fevered mind thought half naked in school was better than a costume. May the mother have great luck with her lawsuit.

[tulsakatz]

10. why didn't they just ask the mom to pick up her child?

that would certainly have been better than having him/her walk around in their underwear!!!

That's ridiculous!!!

[deadparrot]

12. Why didn't they ask her to just bring up an extra set of clothes?

Better yet, why didn't the school have a spare set of clothes on hand? Five is still an age where kids have "accidents."

And if all else failed, and there was nothing else for the poor kid to wear, LET HIM WEAR THE DAMN COSTUME.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. We have extra clothes at my school

I would think most schools do as well.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. We told our kids we would call their parents if they wore a costume

I don't think this strategy is one we would have used at my school. In fact, I am SURE we would never have done anything like this.

[400Years]

53. what's the big fucking deal with wearing a costume

can't have a little fun in school now, that might get in the way of lock-step indoctrination

[SillyGoose]

15. What a dumb-ass teacher. Did it ever occur to the brain trust

at Walt Disney Elementary to send the child to the office and call the parents to bring a change of clothes?

If anyone did that to my child, there would be hell to pay. I hope this family is successful in the inevitable lawsuit. The teacher should be disciplined for this, too.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. Yes I agree

This is taking public humiliation to an extreme.

[annabanana]

19. It is sexual abuse. It is prosecutable.

I hope they prosecute.

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. Really?

I am in no way condoning this. But it is surprising to me that it would be considered sexual abuse. If that is the case, the teacher would have been suspended and most likely charged criminally and I would think the article would have mentioned that.

Anyway, if this really is sexual abuse, it causes me to wonder how legitimate the story actually is.

[helderheid]

30. it IS sexual abuse. Imagine if this happened to you at work.

[Catch22Dem]

21. Right here in my hometown

What a fucking morAn.

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. Is it true?

Can you find any other links?

[Catch22Dem]

26. Oh yeah, it's 100% true indeed

2worksforyou.com is our local NBC affilliate. They ran a piece on the evening news tonight about it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

35. So what happened to the teacher?

Surely she has been suspended.

[Catch22Dem]

49. If I recall it was a HE and no, he was not suspended (n/t)

[proud2BlibKansan]

51. Bingo! Not suspended means

someone is NOT telling the whole story here.

Now who do you suppose called the media? I doubt it was anyone at the school.

[TahitiNut]

22. I must have some mysogeny in me. (Asbestos suit on...)

I'm willing to bet the teacher wouldn't discipline a little girl student in this way. No way. No how.


(Ready for flames.)

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. Sadly, I think you are right. n/t

[Mr_Spock]

36. No, I think you are correct there...

...and I must be especially protective of my girls because this story makes me have very angry thoughts. X(

[helderheid]

25. Good LORD. Why in the hell didn't they call the parents and ask for a

change of clothes??? Why in the hell do people humiliate CHILDREN??

[Catch22Dem]

27. Why humiliate anyone

Children or otherwise?

[helderheid]

33. agreed - I just find this behaviour with children extra repulsive.

[TahitiNut]

40. I think we can make some reasonable suppositions.

(1) The parent(s) was/were wearing a costume to work. While this varies around the country, I know a few regions where the vast majority of adults wear Halloween costumes to work that day.

(2) The parent was probably called at work. The message was probably "your son broke the rules by wearing a costume." I doubt the fact he was forced to sit in his underwear was in the message. No way.

(3) It was probably the parent's idea for the kid to wear the costume. After all, mom/dad did when they were in school, right? Heck. They still do.



I'm bracing for the all-out celebration of Veterans Day. After all, if folks celebrate Halloween like this, then Veterans Day ought to be a huge blowout, right? :eyes:

[Ilsa]

28. Geez, why do all of those teachers hate Kindergartners?

Temps have been a little chilly, too. Poor child will probably have issues until he's old enough to get some good therapy. That teacher owes him an apology, and the other teachers need to be interviewed as to why they didn't intervene.

[proud2BlibKansan]

39. Maybe they did

I know I would have. This is just so cruel I never could have witnessed it and not said anything. I also think it falls under the mandated reporting legislation. So if the other teachers saw it and did NOT report it, they have also broken the law.

[Mr_Spock]

31. I would have to terminate the person who did that to my child.

That's not funny at all. Traumatizing my child for life would result in the loss of yours. Do NOT fuck with my kids.

[renate]

32. that is vile

That child was punished because his parent didn't know the rule. It's disgusting that he had to go through that experience. At that age some kids are starting to get self-conscious about their bodies for the first time; if he's one of them (and if he wasn't before he probably is now) this could really have serious emotional consequences.

I'm not blaming the mom, either. I know how school newsletters and teachers' notes can get wadded up at the bottom of a backpack. I mean, sure, she should have known the rule, but the fact that she didn't get the memo doesn't make her a bad mom.

There are always clothes in the lost and found. If there were hygiene issues about letting him borrow something from there, at the very least the teacher could have let him wrap up in her coat (or found another teacher who'd lend his or her sweater, or SOMETHING).

And unless the costume was Satanic or something that might legitimately (though lamely) have upset the anti-Halloween religious wingnuts, she could have just let him wear the damn thing. Sitting next to a kid dressed as a lion or a pirate isn't going to turn any little kindergartener's mind against God.

Poor little guy. And I can't imagine what that mom felt like when she heard what her kid had gone through.

[proud2BlibKansan]

37. Well I think this is vile

but I do blame the mom. She should have known not to let him wear a costume. All the other parents apparently got the message that the kids were not to wear costumes. It doesn't make her a bad mom, but she should be checking that backpack for notes.

[dweller]

43. okay

let's blame the mom (or dad) and make them parade the day in their undies. At work.

what, didn't get the memo?
dp

[proud2BlibKansan]

45. I am not blaming the mom for the stupid thing the teacher did,

but not reading the note was a huge mistake on her part. You have to admit the whole problem could have been avoided if Mom had checked the backpack and read the note.

[The Animator]

34. Don't forget child endangerment, this happened in Tulsa

Unless there's another Tulsa in Southern California or something. Pretty sure it's in Oklahoma, and if this happened on Halloween, I'm sure it was damn cold.

Five year old kid, damn cold, nothing but his underwear... kid gets pnuemonia or some shit and I'm pretty sure the parents will go on a killing rampage.

And to top it all off, this happened at a school named after Walt Disney? I'm sure his cryogenically frozen head is currently spinning under Cinderella Castle. The man built an empire based on childrens entertainment, and everyone that works within that empire wears a friggin costume to work, it's not a uniform, or work clothes, it's a friggin costume.

And what's with this policy? I understand, that costumes can be a distraction in class, big deal, at the age of five a piece of paper can be just as much a distraction as a learning tool. What the hell could be so important, what could a five year old possibly learn that day that would warrant a ban on costumes on Halloween?

It's Halloween for godsakes! It was my favorite time of year as a kid, some of my few good memories of school were of Halloweens past. I mean seriously, what if the child ran afoul of a demon or goblin while in school that day, without a diguise to confuse the evil spirits, he'd be a gonner for sure. A gonner in not but his underwear.


On edit: this will be a South Park Episode for sure.

[proud2BlibKansan]

38. It's not that costumes are distracting in school

I am sure it's the fundies. They have essentially destroyed Halloween at school. We got word from our legal dept to not allow costumes or Halloween celebrations. It is a district wide policy. That tells me parents must have complained. No way would the legal staff have notified us of the no Halloween policy unless parents complained. And what parents would be complaining about Halloween celebrations besides the fundies?

[Catch22Dem]

50. It was 80+ here today

not that it makes a difference, I'm just sayin'

[Ilsa]

42. Here's a crazy one: On October 31st, they had dress-up day, but

told the kids not to wear Halloween costumes! They said it was dress up like the career you want (my six year old can't decide between train conductor and fireman). Talk about confusing! My son was Harry Potter for Halloween, and I tried to get him to wear the black robe and be a judge for career dress up day, but he wouldn't.

[proud2BlibKansan]

46. There were a couple schools here that did that as well

and I agree, that is dumb. Legally, it is safer to avoid costumes all together.

[walldude]

44. Teacher! Leave those kids alone! All in all you were

All just bricks in the wall....

[proud2BlibKansan]

47. Reminds me of my sister's costume

Her daughter was Dorothy and my sister was a yellow brick road.