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Nine-year-old charged for assaulting Williamsburg teacher
Posted On 19 Aug 2009
Williamsburg police charged a nine-year old fourth grader with assault Thursday afternoon for biting, kicking and hitting a teacher.
Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird said officers were called to the Williamsburg Independent School about noon Thursday over an out of control juvenile, who had assaulted a teacher.
When officers arrived, school officials had taken the juvenile outside.
“He was still pretty irate,” Bird said. “Come to find out, the teacher had asked him to do something in the classroom and he didn’t want to do it and got pretty violent with the teacher.
“He ended up biting the teacher in the hand. It was a pretty bad bite. It brought blood.”
The juvenile also allegedly kicked the teacher a couple of times and punched her numerous times in the head, Bird said.
“It was my understanding that it took several teachers to subdue him, and a couple of other teachers got assaulted in the process,” Bird said. “They got him outside and contacted us.”
Officer Susan Petty was the first officer to arrive at the scene, and took the juvenile into custody.
Bird later charged the juvenile with third-degree assault of a teacher.
He said that a child that young can’t be detained for long periods and was released to the custody of his mother.
“It is my understanding that the child has behavioral problems, and sees a medical professional for those behavioral problems,” Bird said. “It is the first time that I have ever had to charge a child that young.
“If it had been something simple, then charges probably wouldn’t have even been filed. The assault of the teacher was pretty serious. We didn’t feel like we had much choice but to charge him.”
Williamsburg Superintendent Denny Byrd said the teacher involved, Betty Redden, was back to work the next day.
Immediately after the incident she was taken to the school nurse, and just happened to have an appointment scheduled with her family doctor later that afternoon, he said.
Byrd said that he wasn’t familiar with the child.
“As far as I know, he is not back at the school,” Byrd said.
Social services and the court-designated worker were also contacted.
Officials are prohibited by law from releasing the names of juveniles charged with a crime.
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Thank you to both Mannie and AZKies for defending my Aunt’s honor and her many many years of teaching against Nanna Jenkins. My Aunt is a very loving, kind person who would never provoke a child into an outburst. She would NEVER provoke anyone!! Again Thank you for defending her!!
Is it in your experience, Nana Jenkins, appropriate to diagnose per media reports? I am assuming that is what you are basing your opinion on, as someone with direct involvement surely would not be so unprofessional as to go public with that. This Teacher, in question, has an impeccable record. She doesn’t need others to sing her praises, her reputation speaks for itself. I can’t imagine finding another Teacher -more qualified or a more self-contained classroom than what was provided for him in this classroom, with this Teacher. Law enforcement reported that this child’s aggression was in response to being asked to do something in the classroom -So is it still your assessment that the ” Teacher deliberately set this child off.”? I will buy that theory ..IF…You provide me proof that this Teacher was told at the time of this child’s admission to her classroom, That she was prohibited from asking or expecting him to participate in the class, that he was exempt from all rules pertaining to her class & the school in general and given free reign to behave as he so wished. If those were the stipulations -than I will agree that she deliberately “set him off” But now can we say that this is the case? No, because that does not happen in reality. Schools cannot allow as such. So am I correct in saying that it is in your professional experience that a Teacher expecting the same from this child , that is expected of all other students, was erred and/or provoking a student? How could any profession give you such experience that has lead you to think that a teacher is to blame for this type of behavior? A healthy 9 year old child does not react this way -period. So even if the fault would have been a ‘provoking teacher’ or a bad classroom atmosphere-We still would not have had this type of result. A normal, healthy 9 yr old child could have reacted in many different ways, but violence is not one that comes naturally to a healthy 9 yr old child.. This child reacted this way because of issues unique to himself. How could this teacher be to blame- 3 days into the school year- for 9 years of life where underlying issues have obviously been present? You were right in saying – quote “I’m sure the child had a special action plan for outburst that was not carried out just as it should have.” As a parent, I appreciate this teachers quick action, because after assaulting a teacher as he did, Can you imagine what his special plan of action could have involved? It is in my experience as a Parent, that this Teacher acted responsibly for the good of the entire class, as well as for the best interest of this child, in removing him from the classroom. As for Law Enforcement involvement, that is not the blame of the teacher, That is the blame of the child -who didn’t head the advice or instruction of school staff. He took his actions to the next step, therefore making Law Enforcement the only option available to handle this situation. But I’m sure it is in the experience of professionals such as yourself ,who will argue that point -That the teacher & school staff should have just stood there and took a beating from an enraged child. Wow, only in a small town.
This child was released to his mother’s custody, but Social Services took him into their custody before she got him home. Hopefully he will not be back in the regular school system or his parent’s care.
This child was suppossed to be in an Emotionally and Behaviorally Disordered (EBD) class or some other suitable environment. He was not getting the services he needed because the special education teacher was on maternity leave and the school messed up. I hope WIS realize the seriousness of this mistake. This classroom teacher was not notified that this student was EBD and had recently been released from a facility because he had attacked someone else.
Though she was not informed of this student’s special needs, Ms. Redden handled his outburst and attack in the best possible way. The outburst came because he did not put his pencil sharpener way. He was asked for the second time to put it away, so they coould start the next subject. “I ain’t puttin’ it away you F***ING B****!” was his response. As the teacher walked to the door, she said she did not tolerate language like that in her room, nor did she tolerate being spoken to in that way. She told him to go to the office and as he approached the door, he punched her in the temple. He continued to hit, kick and bite her. Other teachers did not respond or notify the administration. A former student asked Ms. R. what he needed to do. She sent him to get help from the office. Ms. Redden acted in the best manner possible by getting him to the hall away from her other students. He could have easily directed his aggression to another student.
In a lot of schools, children with behavioral problems go to special ed classrooms with teachers specifically trained to deal with behavior disorders. Why can’t this be done around here? If children are around other children with the same type problem, then wouldn’t they be less likely to act out?
i had dyslexia and add and odd and i never tryed to hit or get in to it with my teachers i was always resecpful of them
I have worked in the school system with children that have behavioral and emotional problems. Unfortunately I have seen time and time again when teachers will deliberately set these children off. There are often underlying reasons why children exhibit learning and behavioral problems and it is completely irresponsible for a teacher to get into a battle of will with these children I can guarantee the outcome will not be pretty. I realize that in a classroom setting that it is difficult to give special needs children the attention they need in the general population which can make for some pretty trying days but in my experience I will bet that the teacher provoked that situation to some degree. I’m sure the child had a special action plan for outburst that was not carried out just as it should have. In today’s society teaching has become more complex and requires educators to wear many different hats. There has to be collaboration between the child,parents, classroom teachers and special education teachers, counselors, psychiatrist etc. I really wish there was some other way they could have handled that situation. Hopefully the child will be moved to a different teacher or self-contained classroom with a teacher specially trained to handle children with those types of outbursts. If not it’s going to make for a long year.
Just remember that he’s entitled to due process. Some children have learning disabilities which sometimes go hand in hand with behavioural problems. Problems like ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), OCD, and dyslexia can all occur in the same child…I’ve dealt with those problems all my life and I’ve turned out o.k. despite also being taken to court for jabbin a teacher with blunt broken pencil around 4th or 5th grade.