Alternative discipline leads to abuse case
VA Educators Face Lawsuit Over Fifth-Grader’s Treatment
Administrators in the Pittsylvania County School System have a warped sense of proper discipline. They are being sued for punishing a male student by forcing him to dress up as a girl.
A lawsuit alleges that fifth-grader Matthew Thornberry was the victim of assault and battery when principal Emma Austin and assistant principal Jenny Eaton put makeup on the boy last year while he was a student at Twin Springs Elementary School. Pittsylvania County School superintendent
James McDaniel is also named as a defendant in the case. The three educators have also been sued for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, and gross negligence.
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The suit also alleges the administrators required students to refer to Thornberry as a new student named “Mattie.” According to the attorney, the young boy may find it difficult to live down the incident in the community. “It’s a community where the person you went to fifth grade with will probably be a friend of yours or an acquaintance of yours for the rest of your life,” he says.
I wonder what he did to inspire these academians to such a ridiculous punishment. Perhaps the fifth-grader said something sexist, abusive and unforgivable like “girls are icky”.
(Tip credit to Joanne Jacobs)
I guess the Virginia Department of Education needs to take another look at the Child Abuse Recognition/Intervention training. Maybe this behavior isn’t covered there.
Child Abuse Recognition/Intervention
Effective July 1, 2004, the Virginia Department of Education requires all individuals seeking initial licensure or license renewal to complete a study in child abuse recognition and intervention. This includes all teachers, principals and Central Office administrative personnel.
Okay that is kind of funny, but it is absolutley a tottal abuse of power. And while I doubt That it will have any serious long term affects, the school should be held accountable and pay dammages.
You know for cases like this I think the school being sued should have to pay for private schools of the parents choice, and whatever the school whould make from the student being there.
Maybe the principal and teachers involved should not have their license renews.