posted
I don't see why the school couldn't keep the girl closely supervised. Schools do have a responsibility to meet the needs of all their students where possible. Some special needs kids have a para-pro assigned to them for the whole school day (my daughter has one half-days now). Assigning a para-pro to this girl could help her by teaching her appropriate behavior and protect the other children at the same time. If she gets the help she needs now, I think her long-term outlook will be much improved.
quote:Originally posted by mouse goddess: I won't post details, for privacy's sake, and for fear of remembering them wrong, but 5-year-olds CAN possibly know what they're doing.
My sister taught kindergarten for a couple of years, and had an instance where a boy fondled a girl on the bus to a field trip. The boy had an older brother, and quite often hung out with the older boys, was considered "cool" by them, and was privy to more information than most 5-year-olds.
My sister's unhappiness with how the case was handled led her to take a break from teaching to go back to school to get her master's in education policy and reform.
AS someone who has vast experience with five year olds, including two of my own, I can tell you that at that age they do not fully understand the consequences of their actions. They are still learning about what is or is not appropriate behaviour.
I'm sure the five year old in your example was privy to more information than other boys his age, but this does not mean he had the capability to process that information. His actions were based on what he thought the older boys would do. That does not mean he knew what he was doing was wrong or hurtful to the little girl in question.
The school dropped the ball in the situation in the OP and should be held responsible. The little girl should be supervised and get counseling, both to help her deal with her own abuse, and to help her understand that it is not appropriate to do that to other children.
-------------------- There are just some things a dog can't explain to a monkey. Posts: 2529 | From: Newfoundland | Registered: Jan 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Ryda Wong, EBfCo.: And, fine, it's a female. Big freakin deal. Don't change a darned thing.
Well, it is important to the lawsuit:
quote:It claims the two girls were victims of sexual discrimination, accusing the school district of treating the allegations as less serious than they would have if a male student had been involved.
and that makes it important societally as well if schools or government have a bias in these cases and don't take accusations against females as seriously.
pinqy
-------------------- Don't Forget! Winter Solstice Hanukkah Christmas Kwanzaa & Gurnenthar's Ascendance Are Coming! Posts: 8671 | From: Washington, DC | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:It claims the two girls were victims of sexual discrimination, accusing the school district of treating the allegations as less serious than they would have if a male student had been involved.
This part confuses me. To me, it means the parents of the two girls assaulted by the other girl are suing because the school sexually discriminated because the girl who committed the assualt would have been more carefully watched if she had been a girl. Is this how others read it?
Can you sue based on sexual discrimination of a third party?
-------------------- IIRC, it wasn't the shoe bomber's loud prayers that sparked the takedown by the other passengers; it was that he was trying to light his shoe on fire. Very, very different. Canuckistan Posts: 3694 | From: Arizona | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
I think what's that is saying is that the school would have taken the allegations more seriously had the child commiting the assault been a boy.
IOW: Girl sexually assaulting another girl - handled as no big deal
Boy sexually assaulting a girl - would have been handled as a great big deal
Posts: 1359 | From: Akron, Ohio | Registered: Aug 2005
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quote:Can you sue based on sexual discrimination of a third party?
The charges would probably not be sexual discrimination, but some variant of failed responsibility. They were charged with keeping an eye on her, they didn't, and she messed up, so they failed their duties.
-------------------- /Troberg Posts: 4360 | From: Borlänge, Sweden | Registered: Nov 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Ryda Wong, EBfCo.: And, fine, it's a female. Big freakin deal. Don't change a darned thing.
Well, it is important to the lawsuit:
quote:It claims the two girls were victims of sexual discrimination, accusing the school district of treating the allegations as less serious than they would have if a male student had been involved.
and that makes it important societally as well if schools or government have a bias in these cases and don't take accusations against females as seriously.
pinqy
Strongly agreed, pinqy.
And if the child has been abused, her sense of what is a proper boundry is often warped. If an adult is telling you sexual activity with them is okay, you're not likely to realize it's not always okay. And, if the case is taken seriously at this point, this girl might not grow up still thinking that sort of thing is acceptable.
"There can't be a war on Christmas. Even Cambridge has decorations up!" - an observation I made Posts: 2719 | From: Chicago, IL | Registered: Jul 2000
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quote:Originally posted by snoozn: I don't see why the school couldn't keep the girl closely supervised. Schools do have a responsibility to meet the needs of all their students where possible. Some special needs kids have a para-pro assigned to them for the whole school day (my daughter has one half-days now). Assigning a para-pro to this girl could help her by teaching her appropriate behavior and protect the other children at the same time. If she gets the help she needs now, I think her long-term outlook will be much improved.
snoozn
This is exactly what I thought. If that little girl was in my art classroom and didn't have a para, I would make sure to watch her and keep records of any unusual behavior to share with her classroom teacher and the principal and counselor if necessary. It seems there was a huge lack of communication among the school personnel, so that no one really knew the extent of the problem. This is a sad story and I feel bad for all the parties involved.
-------------------- saxea ut effigies bacchantis prospicit eheu | prospicit et magnis curarum fluctuat undis -Catullus Posts: 435 | From: Iowa | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Ryda Wong, EBfCo.: And, fine, it's a female. Big freakin deal. Don't change a darned thing.
Well, it is important to the lawsuit:
quote:It claims the two girls were victims of sexual discrimination, accusing the school district of treating the allegations as less serious than they would have if a male student had been involved.
and that makes it important societally as well if schools or government have a bias in these cases and don't take accusations against females as seriously.
pinqy
Strongly agreed, pinqy.
And if the child has been abused, her sense of what is a proper boundry is often warped. If an adult is telling you sexual activity with them is okay, you're not likely to realize it's not always okay. And, if the case is taken seriously at this point, this girl might not grow up still thinking that sort of thing is acceptable.
Sister "voice of experience" Ray
Thanks for chiming in, Sister Ray.
The molester in this case is clearly a very troubled little girl, and if she isn't even getting enough attention from her teachers to prevent her from physically abusing her playmates, she's obviously not getting the attention she needs to learn more appropriate ways of interacting with them, either. This kid needs both a lot of supervision and a lot of positive guidance.
Nonny
-------------------- When there isn't anything else worth analyzing, we examine our collective navel. I found thirty-six cents in change in mine the other day. Let no one say that there is no profit in philosophy. -- Silas Sparkhammer Posts: 10141 | From: Toronto, Ontario | Registered: Apr 2000
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