Student assaults KC band teacher on bus

[proud2BlibKansan]

A student or group of students punched a Kansas City band teacher after a high school girls’ basketball game Tuesday night, knocking the teacher unconscious.

The 26-year-old teacher didn’t remember what happened. He suffered a bloody nose and a large bloody welt on his forehead over his right eye.

The attack occurred about 9:50 p.m. Tuesday on a school bus carrying band members parked at 17th Street and Forest Avenue behind the Manual Career Tech Center. Students on the bus heard yelling and then saw a 15-year-old boy charge at the teacher with several friends and punch him in the head. Police were still investigating whether other students threw punches. The teacher fell back, hit his head on the bus and collapsed on the floor.

A 14-year-old girl was hit in the chest during the fight.

The suspects ran off the bus but later were stopped by police near 18th Street and the Paseo. Police arrested the 15-year-old student and cited him for assault. He was released to his mother.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1593502.html?qwxq=3544409&commentSort=TimeStampAscending&pageNum=4&&&mi_pluck_action=page_nav#Comments_Container

[RKP5637]

1. Amazing... wonder what prompted all of that... n/t

[imdjh]

4. birth

[RKP5637]

5. No doubt, no doubt! n/t

[tonysam]

2. The district will probably fire the teacher

for having no control over his class.

I am a cynic after all when it comes to public education practices.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. I won't disagree with you

[KansDem]

6. As a former high-school band member...

Extra-curricular activities, like going to or coming from a football game, could get pretty rowdy. I'd suspect there's more to this than simple assault. I'd like to know if there was animosity already brewing between the student and the teacher...

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. The district will say

the teacher provoked him. That's what they almost always say.

[KansDem]

13. My experience in the arts in high school tells me that there are "closer" relationships...

...between student and music teacher/drama teacher/art teacher (and "closer" does not always mean "positive"). I think this is due to the extra hours students and arts teachers spend together.

For example, I remember, in addition to the regularly-scheduled class time, having before-school rehearsals, after-school rehearsals, night rehearsals, weekend rehearsals, etc. Much more time spent together than, say, math, English, or history teachers.

However, my relationship with the band teacher eroded so much that we grew to detest each other. As a result, I spent only two years in the band program. I was rather bummed-out because of this and the newly-arrived* orchestra director told me if I wanted to play in the orchestra my last year in high school, he would give me free lessons between my junior and senior year. Since he was a double bassist, I jumped at the chance and spent the summer having a weekly lesson on double bass (I borrowed one from the high school) and come my senior year, I played in the orchestra!

Now, I forgot all about the band director (the horror stories I could tell you!:grr:), however a friendship developed between the orchestra director and me that has lasted some 40 years. In fact, I spent a few days visiting him in California last December! :D
________
*The new music teacher was brought in to take over the orchestra from the teacher who taught both band and orchestra (poorly). It turned out his teaching had gotten so bad the district decided to "relieve" him of his orchestra duties, give him a couple of remedial math classes (his minor in college) much to the dismay of the math department who wanted to hire someone fresh to join the department, and turn the orchestra over to the new music teacher.

[tonysam]

14. One thing I found out reading about teachers whose licenses were revoked in Oregon

(and these cases are posted on the internet) is that a large number of these teachers who engaged in inappropriate or criminal conduct with students happened to have been music/band or drama teachers.

Undoubtedly the extra time these teachers spent with students gave them an excuse to commit inappropriate/criminal acts.

[torie705]

17. No way

I doubt the teacher will be fired because of a child's outburst and attempt to test his authority.

[WVRICK13]

8. I Could Never Be A Teacher

when they are attacked they can't even fight back. About a month ago a student at the middle school here in town put three teachers in the emergency room and the school responded by putting the student into the alternative section of the school. I think he should have been put in alternative evaluation. If I had been one of the teachers dealing with the student I would have ended up in jail because I would have used whatever force necessary to subdue the student, including knocking him out with a folding chair. With that said I believe the student is full of rage, self-hatred and anger. He publicly stabs himself in the arm with his pencil almost daily and snaps to violence with the slightest confrontation. His rage and actions indicate the possibility of his being a sexual abuse victim. Until the authorities seek to find some answers this student is a danger to himself and others.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. We can defend ourselves

Sounds like this band teacher was rushed by a mob. Pretty hard to fight back.

[WVRICK13]

10. Our School System

will not allow defending yourself. You are to avoid confrontation. In case of physical aggression you are to leave the area and cal security and the police. That is how 3 teachers ended up in the ER, one with a broken nose, one pushed over a desk (no real injuries) and one for stitches (not sure what happened there).

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Any lawyer will tell teachers they can defend themselves

We are also told we can restrain students if they are a threat to others.

[WVRICK13]

12. Thanks

I will pass this information along to my teacher friends. I was wondering about that.

[LWolf]

15. What does the bus driver say?

This is a new one for me, anyway.

Band or not, I wouldn't be taking those young people anywhere again.

Update us on this one when you can.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. Will do

If I hear more I'll let you know.