Seven
students forced to eat lunch on their New Jersey school's gymnasium
floor for two weeks as punishment won a $500,000 legal settlement, their
attorney said Tuesday.
The 2008 incident involved fifth-grade students at Charles Sumner Elementary School in Camden, N.J., who were disciplined after one child spilled water as he tried to lift a jug onto a cooler, according to lawyer Alan Schorr.
The students filed a federal lawsuit against the Camden Board of Education, which agreed to the settlement, Schorr said.
Discord
He said the incident took place against a backdrop of discord between the black and Hispanic populations in the impoverished southern New Jersey city. The children were Hispanic.
Schorr said the vice principal, who was African-American, punished all 15 students in a bilingual class by making them eat off paper liners normally used on lunch trays. (While there were 15 students in the class, only seven sued.)
"The African-American kids were eating at tables, with trays, taunting these Hispanic kids who were forced to eat on the ground," Schorr said.
The vice principal has since transferred.
CourierPostOnline.com reported that the board of education had approved the settlement but not admitted any guilt.
It added:
The children's teacher was fired after encouraging them to tell their parents about the punishment. The teacher won a $75,000 settlement earlier.
Neither school officials nor their lawyers could be reached for comment.
This is outrageous, and has nothing to do with race. It's a matter of bullying from trusted authority figures who are supposed to be caring for our children.This is another reason why good communication with your children is essential. Parents have more power than they realize. If something offered to your child is unacceptable, it is up to you to rise to their defense.
The 2008 incident involved fifth-grade students at Charles Sumner Elementary School in Camden, N.J., who were disciplined after one child spilled water as he tried to lift a jug onto a cooler, according to lawyer Alan Schorr.
The students filed a federal lawsuit against the Camden Board of Education, which agreed to the settlement, Schorr said.
Discord
He said the incident took place against a backdrop of discord between the black and Hispanic populations in the impoverished southern New Jersey city. The children were Hispanic.
Schorr said the vice principal, who was African-American, punished all 15 students in a bilingual class by making them eat off paper liners normally used on lunch trays. (While there were 15 students in the class, only seven sued.)
"The African-American kids were eating at tables, with trays, taunting these Hispanic kids who were forced to eat on the ground," Schorr said.
The vice principal has since transferred.
CourierPostOnline.com reported that the board of education had approved the settlement but not admitted any guilt.
It added:
"Under the settlement, the students will split $280,000, which works out to $31,428 each. Their attorney, Alan H. Schorr of Cherry Hill, will get $220,000."
The children's teacher was fired after encouraging them to tell their parents about the punishment. The teacher won a $75,000 settlement earlier.
Neither school officials nor their lawyers could be reached for comment.
This is outrageous, and has nothing to do with race. It's a matter of bullying from trusted authority figures who are supposed to be caring for our children.This is another reason why good communication with your children is essential. Parents have more power than they realize. If something offered to your child is unacceptable, it is up to you to rise to their defense.
3 comments:
I just can't say enough about how wrong this is. The fact that these children went home every day and came back to the same situation without anyone helping them is the highest form of brainwashing. To be made to eat off of the floor like an animal, while their "peers" taunted them from the comfort of their lunch tables, is so completely messed up, it makes me furious. What kind of lesson is that for anyone, let alone a child who spilled water by accident?!! What kind of sickos are running the schools anyway?
People are idiots.
WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!
i am not a parent. but if i was a parent and i heard about something like THIS happening to MY KID, i would raise holy fucking hell. WTF is wrong with people?!?! particularly people in authority! i know they are not all bad, but WTF!!!!
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