Government Imposed Monopoly Education
March 30, 2010
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Posted by Michael S. Langston
9 charged with bullying Mass. teen who killed self via the AP (here):
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — Insults and threats followed 15-year-old Phoebe Prince almost from her first day at South Hadley High School, targeting the Irish immigrant in the halls, library and in vicious cell phone text messages.
Phoebe, ostracized for having a brief relationship with a popular boy, reached her breaking point and hanged herself after one particularly hellish day in January — a day that, according to officials, included being hounded with slurs and pelted with a beverage container as she walked home from school.
Now, nine teenagers face charges in what a prosecutor called “unrelenting” bullying, including two teen boys charged with statutory rape and a clique of girls charged with stalking, criminal harassment and violating Phoebe’s civil rights….
Assuming the facts, this was criminal behavior with or without the heinous result:
…Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel, who announced the charges Monday, said the events before Phoebe’s death on Jan. 14 were “the culmination of a nearly three-month campaign of verbally assaultive behavior and threats of physical harm” widely known among the student body.
…At least four students and two faculty members intervened to try to stop it or report it to administrators, she said….
So far we seem to be good – charge those directly responsible. Now what about those administrators who did nothing?
…School officials won’t be charged, even though authorities say they knew about the bullying and that Phoebe’s mother brought her concerns to at least two of them….
& here is the unspoken problem: government imposed monopoly on schools for which no one is responsible. Thanks to a strong union and forced funding of these failing institutions we end where the adults charged to protect her are not responsible at all.
Maybe it’s just me, but criminal charges seem consistent with the law. Sure, a civil suit will likely exist and be successful. But the end result is the taxpayers who have to support the idiots who allowed this to continue will have to pay for their mistakes.
I’m just saying – it’s possible a justice system which can’t or won’t hold these people accountable combined with a civil system that will punish taxpayers, not the administrators, doesn’t incent future administrators to do better next time.
Maybe there’s a reason they weren’t charged?
…No school officials are being charged because they had “a lack of understanding of harassment associated with teen dating relationships,” and the school’s code of conduct was interpreted and enforced in an “inconsistent” way, Scheibel said…
Oh…. now I get it. They’re not responsible because they’re too stupid to understand kids their jobs.
It seems at least 4 children, 2 teachers and 1 parent knew enough to try to get help to intervene, but since the administrators just don’t understand kids these days – it’s not really criminal.
What would’ve been criminal would be for Phoebe’s parents to keep her home from school, without proving they were educating her consistent with state guidelines.
But what’s not criminal is doing nothing to prevent this little girl from being criminally harassed daily.
*Side note: Bravo to the children that stood up against this behavior. They should be celebrated for doing the right thing and will hopefully be secure in the knowledge that they at least tried. While the adults did nothing, they tried.
Categories: Culture, Education, Judicial System
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Tags: AP, Crimes, Education, Justice System, Monopoly, Responsibility, unintended consequences
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Michael, do you think that there is no bullying in private or parochial education? This story has little to do with public education but undoubtedly, the teachers and administration abdicated their responsibility in the case of Phoebe Prince. I am glad that some of the kids stood up to the bullies but evidently, not enough to counter the aggressive behavior of nine students. It must have been excruciatingly hard to adjust to life in the Us after emigrating from a small Irish village and I wonder if the parents had received proper counsel in order to have prevented this tragedy.
Mary –
First – thanks for reading. I hope to write much more soon – be off for a while….
Either way – I did not intend this to be about public schools only from the bullying aspect, but in the responsibility aspect. The courts have ruled that government negligence isn’t grounds for a law suit or other remedy. I don’t remember the specific case I as am not a lawyer, but I think the precedent flows from a case in MI, where department of family services removed a child from a safe home environment and gave it to the abusive parent who ended up killing the child. SCOTUS ruled the state isn’t responsible as they have no pro-active duty to protect others. I believe the same has been said about firefighters showing up late (or at least sued as if they had).
So the lack of responsibility here combined with the fact that even IF the parents can recover some monetary damages in the end – taxpayers who had nothing to do with this and little control over any of it will be the ultimate ones paying. Even parents with kids in the school can’t withhold funding by leaving the school that refuses to protect kids as the school will get its revenue even if the school were empty.
My apologies if I confused the issue – the difference I think is stark – when a private school gets sued, only people that gave that school money can lose their money and they can only lose what they give. On the other hand, the government can simply print and borrow more money and make my kids pay for it. Not to mention the fact there isn’t one single private school that I’m aware of that has been able to force funding regardless of results.
“SCOTUS ruled the state isn’t responsible as they have no pro-active duty to protect others. I believe the same has been said about firefighters showing up late (or at least sued as if they had).” I was under the impression that the ruling was that they had no legal liability when they fail to protect individuals. I am not aware of any method of withholding funds from public education but I am sure the result of their irresponsibility will lead to political action on the part of parents. I presume they would have school boards and other avenues of influence. “Not to mention the fact there isn’t one single private school that I’m aware of that has been able to force funding regardless of results.” This made me laugh because last night I attended a fundraiser for a private school and was one of 25 possible winners for a split the pot drawing (Alas, I lost). My plan, in the event of a win, was to make a break for the door before I could be caught by the school development officer. Thank you for the interesting reading.
Mary –
You are correct – good catch. I should use Google to confirm my thoughts about things I read way to long ago
Further though – there is no way to withhold public funding and I’m sure most of the cases rest on the idea that there is remediation available through voting.
School vouchers, something with which I agree completely, would give parents the ability to remove funding just as exists in a private school.
lol on the fund raising – maybe hard sells should be considered coercion
I understood your interpretation of the ruling because it was one of the logical consequences. I am not familiar with the public system but I am also totally in favor of vouchers. Though honestly from the perspective of a ‘have had’ person, I can tell you that even with vouchers, there will be less access for students without financial means. In my view and experience, private schools will not compete for more of the public school children. The only exception, for competition, will be parochial, with most likely Catholic schools picking up the most students. I can see that you hold libertarian viewpoints and the realities of those beliefs do not always correspond to the actual practices of the real world. I find the arguments most interesting hear and I will keep reading.
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