Mom arrested while trying to console special needs son in school

[avebury]

Sometimes common sense leaves the building. If I were this woman I would demand a jury trial because no sane jury would ever vote to convict. She needs to consult a lawyer about a civil suit against the school.



http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/oddnews/mom-arrested-while-trying-to-console-special-needs-son-in-school-193423775.html

Missouri resident Niakea Williams was at home, in bed when she got a phone call from Walnut Groves Elementary School. She was told that her son, Michael,who has Asperger’s syndrome, was panicking. Niakea quickly head over to her son’s school, got buzzed in, and immediately went to find Michael. As KMOV News 4 reports, what happened next has Ms. Williams furious.

Ms. Williams, though she had been buzzed in as a “known parent” by school officials, apparently broke protocol when she did not sign in before heading to Michael’s classroom to console him. Williams admits this but feels she was justified, telling KMOV, “I didn’t sign the book, but I had to check on my son.” She told the principal to bring the book to her and she’d sign it, but the administrator had other ideas. Niakea recounts, “She said, ‘Oh no, I’ve already called the police.’”

She had indeed called the police. Calverton Park Police showed up and put the school in a 12-minute lockdown due to an “unauthorized entry to a school.” Williams was arrested and taken to the police station on trespassing charges. This all despite her being a known parent at the school who actually had met with the principal just one day prior.

Ms. Williams thinks the whole ordeal was unnecessary, telling the station, “They escorted me away from my son, who already has emotional distress. Four officers told me to turn around and put my hands behind my back, I was under arrest.” It’s unclear as to what will happen to Williams next, legally speaking. As for the school’s side of the story, KMOV made no mention of it.

[VanillaRhapsody]

1. glad I don't have kids or grandkids...

things are getting ridiculous...

[Logical]

8. LOL, brilliant logic. n-t

[H. Cromwell]

2. Doesn't surprise me...

Ms. Williams, though she had been buzzed in as a “known parent” by school officials, apparently broke protocol when she did not sign in before heading to Michael’s classroom to console him. Williams admits this but feels she was justified, telling KMOV, “I didn’t sign the book, but I had to check on my son.”

When you consider that kids are expelled for making a "gun" with their fingers and pointing it at somebody....she'll probably get fined and a suspended jail sentence.

[madaboutharry]

3. Because calling the police was the first thought rather than

going over to her and telling her she needed to sign in. What a waste of resources. What an idiot who called the police. I hope she sues them.

[ProfessorGAC]

4. You Forgot To Mention. . .

. . . that she didn't go over to someone SHE KNEW and that the school has just called to come there!

It's an add that makes your point even more important, i think.

[Jefferson23]

5. Fucking idiot..sue these asshole adminstrators, it's the only language many Boards of Ed

understand.

[uncommonlink]

6. I hope she chooses a jury trial

and when she wins, which she certainly will, she sues the hell out of the school and police for being dicks of the worse kind.

If I were the DA, I wouldn't even bother filing charges and would chastise the school and police telling them to settle the fuck down.

[DebJ]

7. Administrator choosing to follow the 'letter of the law' with a rule rather than

choosing to do what is in the best interests of the child...and children, including all the other children in
the same classroom.

Not surprised.

Actually, the administrator chose an action in the worst interests of all involved.

[LiberalAndProud]

13. And the children operate under that authoritarianism every school day.

Some people can't be rational when their authority is challenged. They shouldn't be school administrators.

[etherealtruth]

9. From the account they knew who the mom was and where she was

She told the principal to bring the book to her and she’d sign it, but the administrator had other ideas. Niakea recounts, “She said, ‘Oh no, I’ve already called the police.’”


If what has been reported is true .... this was purposeful ass-holery. It likely upset students and wasted public resources ... not to forget traumatized an already upset mother and special needs child

[Ilsa]

10. Probably more "no exceptions" rule alleviating the principal

of the need to think. I thought principals were paid more to use their brains in these situations.

I hope the principal apologizes to her and the school pays her legal fees.

BTW, for those that aren't aware, signing in to a school usually doesn't require a metal detector screening or pat-down. It's just a process to make certain that only parents and guardians are permitted access during the day. Since the principal knew her, she should have made an exception for her, even if she did bypass the front office.

I can't stress enough the unnecessary pain that was caused this parent whose life is already more difficult than most people can imagine.

[etherealtruth]

11. Did the police sign in?

[avebury]

12. That would be interesting if the DA is

stupid enough to file charges and the woman demands a trial. Imagine having to present this case in front of a jury that is made up of jurors who are parents and/or just have a lot more common sense then the School, Police and DA's office.

A good Defense Attorney could make them all look really stupid.

I would be surprised if the District Attorney chooses to file the charges.

[etherealtruth]

15. This is really stupid

[BrotherIvan]

14. This shows how bad it is in our schools

Anyone think a teacher can do his or her best in this kind of atmosphere? How about the students? Who benefits from this situation?

In the few years I taught, most of the administrators I encountered were corporate stooges of the worst kind. They have cherry-picked the most compliant (and non-thinking) on purpose to be adversaries of the teachers (& teacher unions) and to toe the line for the district bigwigs. They often have little to no experience in the classroom, no rapport with students or teachers, often hide out in their offices or spend a lot of time at the district office so they don't have to interact. But they are there screaming, threatening and patrolling during testing times because that's how they and their masters get $$.

How sad that our schools are in lockdown. Because we can't do anything about guns and are so afraid for our children, students are losing a sense that school is part of the community. My mother was an elementary school teacher in a low income neighborhood for forty years. Parent participation was a huge part of the success of the school. So many things have changed since then and now school feels like prison. They used to have potlucks to raise money for field trips, carnivals, and after school programs. They put on plays outside of classroom time. She would make sure they celebrated every holiday of every ethnicity in the school and more, with parents bringing food so the kids could learn about each other (these were absolutely the most successful). If she had a special lesson, they would help with science projects or large models. This makes students love learning and makes school a part of life, not separate from it. The school was the focal point for the neighborhood.

These sterile schools where a parent is arrested for walking on campus seem like a nightmare. I feel sorry for everyone in this situation. And the people losing the most are the students and families.

[DebJ]

16. You are absolutely right about the administrators. But there is an even worse category:

the few who WERE teachers, WERE in classrooms, and who have complete sold-out to being
butthole adversaries because they like their paychecks. We have one like that. I can't even
look at him. Can Not!

[Drahthaardogs]

17. Oh FFS. The parents must accept that they are a HUGE part of the problem.

My sister is a teacher, 4th grade, and once a quarter, she treats all the kids who remembered their reading logs every week to a pizza party (at her expense) at lunch. One week a student forgot his log. His mother actually came to the school and pleaded his case. My sister said, "Look, I am trying to teach your son some responsibility. It is a simple reward system. He has to remember to have it signed once a week for nine weeks. He can try again next quarter".

Next thing you know, she is in front of the principal complaining about my sister not letting her son have pizza. The twit then took it to the School Board when the principal stood behind her.

You think this kid is going to function in the real world? The parents have ruined the school system when they stripped the teachers of any and all power. The administrators simply added the cherry on top.