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KIDS IN COURT!

Let us suppose your precious little girl, Kytan, has come home from elementary school and tells you that her classmate, mean Cassandra, pulled her hair and called her names. You take which of the following steps:

 

 

  • Explain to Kytan that she has to learn to get along with her classmates, and if she can’t be friends with Cassandra she should just ignore her. 
  • Give little Kytan judo lessons so she is better able to defend herself. 
  • Call Kytan’s teacher and try to persuade her to help mend the relationship between Kytan and Cassandra. 
  • Give Kytan your favorite Luger and instructions on avoiding the metal detectors at school. 
  • Call Cassandra’s mother and tell her that her daughter better stop bugging your daughter, or else. 
  • Take the matter to court and ask the judge to intervene.
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    It’s really hard to find good judo instructors these days, so the only sensible answer is F. And that’s just what Mrs. Schultz, mother of Kytan, did.

    Mrs. Schultz said her ten-year-old daughter had been subjected to name calling, hair pulling and taunts from her classmate, Cassandra, so she took the matter to a Michigan court.

    Macomb Circuit Court Judge Michael Schwartz issued a stern warning to the children: “If one of you looks cross-eyed to the other you’re going to come back here.” The heads of the two fifth graders barely rose above the judge’s bench.

    The attorney for ten-year-old Cassandra thought the ruling was “definitely a solution.” Others weren’t so happy. Macomb County prosecutor Carl Marlinga asked, “Where did we get this idea that every dispute between children has to wind up before a circuit court judge? I think it’s a ridiculous waste of time.”

    This is a short Outrage because we’ve got to go assemble our legal team — little Johnny Outrage just came home and told us that Charlie blasted him with a spitball.

    (Source: The Tribune.)

 

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0 thoughts on “KIDS IN COURT!

  1. Both the little spoiled brats need there fannys spanked with an opennhand of a for real parent.

    Time: 12/7/97 (12:9:33)

    Of course, this ten-year old is going to be the same one who, twenty years later, sues MacDonald’s because her fries are too cold. I am reminded of when certain special interest groups were lobbying for laws to protect homosexual students from being insulted by their classmates. As far as I know such laws have never been passed, but judging by this latest bit of idiocy, they may not be far off.

    Time: 12/4/97 (17:11:2)

    Oh, come on. How did you guys at DO miss the real story here? Mrs. Schultz and her attorney never expected to get this thing to trial. The idea was to get the affair reported in the papers (and The Outrage) and then to go on the Jerry Springer Show and confront Cassandra and her parents on national TV. Oh, and invite the pincipal along for good measure. Then we can watch as Mrs Schultz attacks Casandra’s mother and pulls her hair, while Jerry and the principal try to break up the melee. A ratings bonanza.

    Time: 12/4/97 (15:36:18)

    Part of the problem here is most adults seem to have pretty short memories. Think back to your early school days, if that’s possible. It’s been about 40 years since I was in 5th grade, but it seems to me that schools never have been able to deal effectively with most “bullies” or you wouldn’t hear about kids getting harrassed and beat up over lunch money, clothes, etc. I seem to recall being picked on by bigger kids a couple times and it was fairly traumatic; made worse if you “squealed.” And excuse me, but wasn’t there a fatal shooting at a school in Kentucky just yesterday or the day before involving a 13- or 14-year-old? How long would an adult tolerate the threat of physical harm before trying to get some relief from the legal system? I’ve always thought Prosecutor Marlinga was fairly astute due to his reluctance to misuse the legal system against Dr. Kevorkian, but it’s obvious here he and many others think children don’t have as many “rights” as adults. When I was a kid, I always thought adults with that attitude were stupid, and it’s gratifying to learn as an adult I was right.

    Time: 12/4/97 (12:54:22)

    That’s right, folks, take the class bully to court! That’ll show her and make her change her ways, by gum.

    For the terminally clueless, Cassandra was a bully. The way to handle bullies if for teachers/administrators (the adults at the scene of the “crime”) to intervene and discipline the bully – suspension, expulsion, counseling with the parents (who probably don’t give a damn, anyway), moving her to a different class.

    But, wait a minute, Cassandra is a victim; she’s not responsible for her actions; it must be society’s fault.

    Sheesh! What *should* have happened is that the little darling was soundly spanked by her parents after her aggression was reported to them by the school authorities, with a promise of more of the same if she did it again. Dr. Spock is still with us, I fear.

    Time: 12/4/97 (12:43:44)

    I don’t think you were hard enough on these nuts. What happened to the teachers and principles who controlled the school. I remember people who could stop the most vicious fights with a word or two spoken sternly and could freeze the blood of a misbehavor with one of “those looks”. A few children are in school because they want to learn. A lot must be forced to behave and to learn. Teachers must be free to do what needs to be done to ensure learning. That includes encouragement and punishment if needed and as needed. The kind of touchy feely atmosphere we have today produces just the kind of idiocy that we have today in the schools. Let’s do what works, not necessarily what sounds pretty. Thanks for the soapbox. I love this page even if I do get angy every time I read it.

    Time: 12/4/97 (12:10:18)

    Since the Outrage authors don’t seem to be getting much support on this one, I guess I’ll jump in on behalf of their position. The primary issues raised here are that the court system should be used only as a last resort and only for non-trivial matters. Even after reading the article, it’s not clear at all that these criteria were met.

    Was the case non-trivial? I didn’t see evidence that it was too terribly serious, although things may have been blown out of proportion along the way. True, assault against a minor is still assault, but if the perpetrator is a 10-year-old peer who pulled on the other’s pigtails, the word ‘assault’ paints too strong a picture. These are kids! They need to learn to resolve their own disputes and not rely on others (especially not the government) to solve all their problems for them.

    Were all other means exhausted? Very doubtful. You’re telling me that between the parents, teachers, & principal, no one could explain to Cassandra that her behavior is unacceptable? We may as well send her off to a penitentiary now and save everyone some time.

    Given the current legal climate in this country, I’m surprised that Kytan’s parents didn’t file a lawsuit against the teachers, principal, school district for failing to keep the children from calling each other names. But if they do, I’m sure it’ll make the DO.

    Time: 12/4/97 (10:46:48)

    I agree with your take on 98%+ of the issues you raise in DO. On this one about the schoolgirl taking a matter to court when assalted by a classmate, I remind you that assalt against a minor is still assalt. Little people have rights too, many more than assumed by most adults. Obviously it might be better to attempt to resolve the issue with the help of a teacher or administrator, assuming the event took place on school property. But it seems in far too many cases children are told “that’s a part of growing up, you need to learn how to get along.”

    You’ve missed the target a bit on this one.

    By the way, do you follow The Drudge Report or visit drudgereport.com? There’s great material for DO on that site.

    Time: 12/4/97 (9:57:57)

    It seems to me that if Cassandra was allowed to abuse and harrass Kytan for over a year, then the “educators” weren’t doing their jobs. Perhaps it wasn’t such an abuse of the system to take this to court. If the school authorities cannot protect a 10 from a violent classmate, then perhaps the legal authorities can. One would hope that if their child were being abused at school that the adults in their child’s environment would do whatever was necessary to protect the victim and punish the bully.

  2. I waited seventeen years ti get even with the little punks that beat me up on the way to and from school. When i went from ninety pounds at sixteen to one hundred and suxty pounds ad seventeen I got even and then they snots were the ones to hurt.

  3. the NYLJ recently reported a case involving high school students who went on a school trip to Disney Land. before the trip the students were required to sign a pledge of no alcohol or drug use on the trip. While there, these 2 kids were smoking pot in their hotel room. A teacher smelled it, went in and searched the room, found the contraband, and sent the kids home on the next plane. Their parents (one had to have been a lawyer) sued the school claiming violation of their rights against unreasonable searchs and siezures. Good lesson for those kids by their parents, huh. At least the court had the good sense to toss the case.

  4. Uhhhh, yeah. “Little people”?!?! They are kids!!! They are supposed to be learning lessons that will shape their adult behavior and they need to learn these lessons from responsible adults!!! I’m not even going to try to explain how I feel about this only like minded folks will understand, but I think this is a good example of how off kilter this country is. Parenting??? What’s that??? Is that where I have a kid and then treat them like a side effect for 18 years at which time I kick them out of the house???

  5. Save your family and money by getting a Pre-Paid Legal membership, an afforable means to protect yourself from $1,000 of dollars in lawyer fees by having legal service accessible to you for a monthly fee. We all have medial insurance, we all have auto insurance – Why not have pre-Paid legal services. e-Mail or call for more information on how to protect yourself from OUTRAGEOUS Lawsuits.

  6. I was a neighbor to Mrs. Schultz and her family for about two years. She is the type of person who would blow something way out of proportion and “protect” her kids, and assumed her kids did no wrong. It’s an outrage that she would involve the court system instead of trying to resolve the matter on a personal level.

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