This deputy not only brutalized the teenager, he terrorized every other student in the classroom. He has added himself to a long list of badge-wearing thugs whose penchant for excessive force have validated the anti-police attitude in many communities.
49
This is symptomatic of what we have been seeing for years with law enforcement: a lack of expertise in de-escalation of conflict. They're usually the ones who are armed, and they have the badges and, therefore, the authority, so they see no reason whatsoever why they should engage in de-escalation tactics to avoid dangerous situations. Why not? It makes no sense to me. This young woman was very probably behaving like a complete brat--we've all seen (and been) teenagers who act out this way occasionally--but her perspective still matters. Maybe a relative died that day, or her boyfriend broke up with her, or she discovered one of her friends saying something awful about her on social media--any number of things could have put her in the frame of mind to be a jerk. But the response to it, particularly in a school setting, is not violence. He should have engaged her in dialogue about what was happening with her, her feelings, and how he might help. His objective is for her to peacefully exit the classroom and accompany him to the office, but how he gets her there--by gaining her trust and acknowledging her grievance (whatever it is, even if it's ridiculous)--so that the situation doesn't explode, is what matters. Not only is it a wiser way to handle situations like this, but it has the bonus effect of demonstrating to all the other students in the classroom that they are in a safe place and are in the care of people who respect them and are willing to listen to them.
29
I see this as a symptom of a much more complex issue that involves the American culture. There appears to be a lack of respect for authority, which has come to the surface after President Obama was elected. This lack of respect for the President and the Presidency is evident at the highest levels and sometimes comes from our most trusted leaders. Example: Supreme Court Justices that did not attend the Popes address at Congress. If you don't like what your leader has to say, ignore it and do what you want. This is also reflected in everyday life, with an increase in violence (road rage, gun violence, etc.). The fact that the Republicans have been fascinated with anti-establishment Tea Partiers and outsider politicians and the fact that some parents seem to support their kids bad behaviour in school or just don't care what they do, are other indicators that there is something wrong with America. We seem to think that force is the only answer to handling people that rebel against authority (police actions during protests), or that it is okay to rebel against authority depending on who you are or what the issue is. In reality, Americans are bullies at heart, praised by some (Trump support) while condemned by others. What we see in this case is both the lack of respect for authority and the concept of respect on how to handle a rebellious student.
19
The look on the other kids face is telling: don't mess with the crazy white cop: he's armed and dangerous. This is so sick. Sicker is the many that think this cop's action is defensible.
49
Why should the FBI be involved in this "investigation"? Don't they have much bigger criminals to go catch, like rapists, murderers and terrorists? What next? An invitation for the girl deliberately breaking rules and defying authority to visit the White House and have afternoon tea with Michelle Obama?
8
Regarding the Ashton Reese case: If fighting after school on non-school property "on the way home" was gang related, then most of the kids I knew at the high school I attended would be gang members. And we are Anglos or Orientals.
7
It seems like a difficult situation and one not as easily reducible to right and wrong as some of the police violence situations we have seen recently.
Like it or hate it, teachers and school authorities have to be in control of their classrooms and the possible use of force is a component of that authority. They need to be able to demand obedience from students in their charge and have to wield the threat of force as the ultimate trump card to maintaining control. Even worse, they generally deal with childrenwho do not have the maturity or perspective to deal with the threat of escalation of force in the ways an adult would (or realistically understand the possibility).
So what are school officials to do in such a situation? A child is disrupting the classroom for all students and refuses to comply with escalating commands and threats. The school can:
(a) Ignore the student, giving an example to other children looking to cause problems or challenge authority.
(b) Make appropriate escalation until force is required and then use it only to the degree necessary.
(c) Brutalize students from the get-go.
Of course, this is a spectrum, but I think most would generally fall pretty much in the middle. And it sounds like that's pretty much what the school did. The only piece of the encounter that was recorded was the final minutes where the decision to use force was made, so it is hard to assess the officials' reasonableness in leading up to the use of force.
Like it or hate it, teachers and school authorities have to be in control of their classrooms and the possible use of force is a component of that authority. They need to be able to demand obedience from students in their charge and have to wield the threat of force as the ultimate trump card to maintaining control. Even worse, they generally deal with childrenwho do not have the maturity or perspective to deal with the threat of escalation of force in the ways an adult would (or realistically understand the possibility).
So what are school officials to do in such a situation? A child is disrupting the classroom for all students and refuses to comply with escalating commands and threats. The school can:
(a) Ignore the student, giving an example to other children looking to cause problems or challenge authority.
(b) Make appropriate escalation until force is required and then use it only to the degree necessary.
(c) Brutalize students from the get-go.
Of course, this is a spectrum, but I think most would generally fall pretty much in the middle. And it sounds like that's pretty much what the school did. The only piece of the encounter that was recorded was the final minutes where the decision to use force was made, so it is hard to assess the officials' reasonableness in leading up to the use of force.
15
What I want to know is where does this student get the notion that it is ok to disrupt a classroom and disobey an officer? Could it be that the media publicity for these incidents encourage other teens to also act inappropriately?
Also, does anyone deny that the officer doesn't have the right to use force if a student will not obey orders? What would you have the teacher and officer do? Tase the student?
Also, does anyone deny that the officer doesn't have the right to use force if a student will not obey orders? What would you have the teacher and officer do? Tase the student?
23
I'd blame poor screening of officers for this barbaric act. This guy should not have been a policeman at all, and definitely shouldn't have been around kids. Do they not have any psychological screening, did they not pay any attention to the complaints about him? We can't have violent bullies on the force, it's not acceptable.
There is only one reason for him to have assaulted this girl like he did: if she had a gun or other lethal weapon and was refusing to drop it. Then it'd be a brave move on his part, and a necessary one. Since she was just sitting in class, there's really no reason for his actions at all, and I'm sure if he was there to arrest her it could have been done without the violence.
There is only one reason for him to have assaulted this girl like he did: if she had a gun or other lethal weapon and was refusing to drop it. Then it'd be a brave move on his part, and a necessary one. Since she was just sitting in class, there's really no reason for his actions at all, and I'm sure if he was there to arrest her it could have been done without the violence.
22
Talk about burying the lead! This was the most pertinent information:
"In the classroom confrontation on Monday, one video shows the officer approaching the girl as she sits at a desk in a classroom. He urges her to come with him. When she refuses his requests, the officer grabs her arm and places his own around her neck. "
Disobeying a police officer never ends well.
"In the classroom confrontation on Monday, one video shows the officer approaching the girl as she sits at a desk in a classroom. He urges her to come with him. When she refuses his requests, the officer grabs her arm and places his own around her neck. "
Disobeying a police officer never ends well.
20
This student was disruptive to the point that the teacher and principal had to ask the resource officer to remove her from the class room. She lunches the officer and then resists which makes this look much worse than it really was. She doesn't have any injuries. Now the officer is going to lose his job because of this brat of a student... The student and her parents are the subjects whom need to be punished for her disrespectful behavior. Extremely unfortunate for the officer and this student isn't going to get any punishment after all this. If anything she's going to get an apology and be told she didn't do anything wrong.
22
From 1958 through 1965. from 18 to 25 years of age, I worked with children, including teenagers, in NYC and in towns on Long Island. I worked in community centers, school buildings, and out and around in neighborhoods. I never laid an aggressive and angry hand on a kid, including a teenager. When a kid "lost it" I kneeled down before them and spoke softly and comfortingly to them. if the other kids around us needed to have attention, I talked to them calmly while I was calming the upset teen or child. If need be, and if I could, I called in another staff member to help the other kids, or to help them by escorting them out of the area or room. I stayed with the anxious upset angry aggressive kid calming him or her as long as it took. Afterwards, I contacted the kid's parent figures and explained what happened with their child.
My colleagues did the same things. We were trained to handle those situations that way.
We did not affect a school to prison pipeline, nor a neighborhood to prison pipeline.
The way the adult handled the child as shown in this video is wrong without a doubt. It was inhumane. It was unkind. It was cruel.
My colleagues did the same things. We were trained to handle those situations that way.
We did not affect a school to prison pipeline, nor a neighborhood to prison pipeline.
The way the adult handled the child as shown in this video is wrong without a doubt. It was inhumane. It was unkind. It was cruel.
48
I am appalled by this "officers" conduct. I can't imagine a young girl in a classroom doing anything ( short of gun violence) that calls for the abominable treatment inflicted on her by this "officer". I think he should be arrested.!
15
The young thug refused the order of the teacher to leave the classroom and then when the officer responded he refused the order of the officer to leave the room and then grabbed on to the chair thus preventing the officer from removing him. What exactly was the officer supposed to do at this point? Taser him? This thugs next career move will be a jail sentence.
5
The officer lost control and will pay a severe price for that. We all agree that what he did was wrong.
So, what was the right path for an officer called to a classroom to remove a disruptive student who refused to leave voluntarily: Call back-up and wait 30 minutes until there were enough cops to more gently lift her out of the classroom? Inform the teacher that his hands are tied and suggest the class be dismissed, or that all kids be given the option to do whatever they want during class? Tell the teacher to just ignore any level of disruption and chalk it up to 'kids today?'
As a parent whose children were continuously penalized in pursuit of an education by aggressive malcontents who defied any efforts by teachers and school administrators to force them to turn off electronic devices, stop disrupting classes and stop picking on other kids, I wonder what we are supposed to do to deal with such kids.
I'll hang up and listen.
So, what was the right path for an officer called to a classroom to remove a disruptive student who refused to leave voluntarily: Call back-up and wait 30 minutes until there were enough cops to more gently lift her out of the classroom? Inform the teacher that his hands are tied and suggest the class be dismissed, or that all kids be given the option to do whatever they want during class? Tell the teacher to just ignore any level of disruption and chalk it up to 'kids today?'
As a parent whose children were continuously penalized in pursuit of an education by aggressive malcontents who defied any efforts by teachers and school administrators to force them to turn off electronic devices, stop disrupting classes and stop picking on other kids, I wonder what we are supposed to do to deal with such kids.
I'll hang up and listen.
18
Just another piece of media that is being used to fuel the "WHITE/BLACK" hate in this country.
11
So we have a cop who also "coaches the school football team’s defensive line and is the team’s strength and conditioning coach."
Impressive. He sounds so....macho. Just what we need in our cops.
Impressive. He sounds so....macho. Just what we need in our cops.
12
Here's the thing... What parent assaulting their child in this manner, say in the grocery store (a public place) wouldn't be arrested? It's remarkable that the 'rules of engagement' are so disproportionately understood.
I'd enjoy reading thinking people discuss redefining police 'rules of engagement.' Perhaps something simple like meeting citizen defiance with only equal or lesser force. Essentially no excuses: "Do not fire upon unless fired upon." Which amplifies the common law of 'self defense.'
A police state is preceded by citizens abdicating responsibility. For my part I'm tiring of observing "Law Enforcement" that includes unquestioned components of perpetrator punishment.
I'd enjoy reading thinking people discuss redefining police 'rules of engagement.' Perhaps something simple like meeting citizen defiance with only equal or lesser force. Essentially no excuses: "Do not fire upon unless fired upon." Which amplifies the common law of 'self defense.'
A police state is preceded by citizens abdicating responsibility. For my part I'm tiring of observing "Law Enforcement" that includes unquestioned components of perpetrator punishment.
11
The video is a perfect illustration of why having police in schools causes as many problems as it solves. A teacher who feels disobeyed or challenged brings in the officer. The officer treats the student as a criminal suspect, not as a stubborn child and responds as trained: with the kind of definitive force that may, repeat may be appropriate during the arrest of a resisting criminal suspect but should never be used against a child whose only "crime" was saying "no" to an ineffective teacher. And we wonder why some young African-American children grow up to view the police as their enemies.
Agreed, this police officer over-reacted, but there is more to this. The teacher or administrator who, faced with a fairly routine disciplinary problem, had to bring in armed police is not fit to run a high-school classroom.
Agreed, this police officer over-reacted, but there is more to this. The teacher or administrator who, faced with a fairly routine disciplinary problem, had to bring in armed police is not fit to run a high-school classroom.
18
This student had complete control of this situation up until the point where the cop grabbed her. All she had to do was respect authority, follow the rules, and comply with the basic requests of those in authority. She embodies one of the most troubling problems in our country to day - too many people feeling that they can chose when to respect authority, follow the rules/laws and comply with basic requests of those in authority. The majority of cases where police use extreme force involve people who fall into this category. It's interesting to me that this angle is not often discussed. Usually these people are seen as victims of some sort. Where is the concern for the decay in our country, an outcry for people to be respectful and play by the rules?
20
50 paragraphs in the cop and not one sentence in what the student was doing that warranted calling *the police*??
I saw a lot of bad actors in my school days but not one on whom the cops were called. I'm guessing that the girl's conduct was extremely disruptive if not unsafe.
It is called resisting arrest. Why is this a story? Should the cop have said pretty please?
I saw a lot of bad actors in my school days but not one on whom the cops were called. I'm guessing that the girl's conduct was extremely disruptive if not unsafe.
It is called resisting arrest. Why is this a story? Should the cop have said pretty please?
11
As a young student, had I witnessed something like this, I would have been traumatized.
8
Imagine if the races were switched and a black male officer 'took down' a white high school girl. I doubt we'd be hearing how she deserved it and the cop did the right thing. And what has happened to teachers and principals? Somehow student disruption was handled without 'resource officers' in the past.
17
No adult, parent, teacher, cop, should ever put their hands on a child. Period.Leave the room if you are that angry. Get another adult to help you.
Also, in this story here, why didn't this young adult just listen to the teacher or the school principal, why would the police need to do the educator's job?
Now that being said, whatever happened to young adults showing respect for the teachers, police, people, animals... Yesterday, I witnessed 4 African American kids teasing/harassing a small tied up dog in NYC. When I pointed it out to 3 cops standing 1/2 a block away, they shrugged their shoulders and said they were there to prevent person on person crime. So, I went up to the teenage kids and asked them to leave the dog alone, and was met with, ":F--k you B--tch" and having their soda thrown at me. Lovely.
Also, in this story here, why didn't this young adult just listen to the teacher or the school principal, why would the police need to do the educator's job?
Now that being said, whatever happened to young adults showing respect for the teachers, police, people, animals... Yesterday, I witnessed 4 African American kids teasing/harassing a small tied up dog in NYC. When I pointed it out to 3 cops standing 1/2 a block away, they shrugged their shoulders and said they were there to prevent person on person crime. So, I went up to the teenage kids and asked them to leave the dog alone, and was met with, ":F--k you B--tch" and having their soda thrown at me. Lovely.
7
Why is the NYT giving so much space to the past complaints, which were dismissed? The officer has almost certainly had thousands of interactions with civilians over the years he has been working as an officer--it would not be surprising at all to see a few of those result in angry people filing complaints, even if the officer's actions were totally justified under the circumstances (and of course those filing the complaints have every incentive to overstate the officer's actions and omit their own).
Why, then, is a significant portion of this piece a recounting of those dismissed complaints? I expect higher standards from the NYT than this.
Why, then, is a significant portion of this piece a recounting of those dismissed complaints? I expect higher standards from the NYT than this.
7
Cops enforcing classroom discipline is plain wrong. It indicates a disturbing corrosion of our society in which schools are not for learning, but more of a prison experience.
We have become a society that values the weapons industry more than the citizenry. Tax payers gave the military huge amounts of money for weapons - so excessive that the inventory had to be surplussed to domestic police departments. We now have huge SWAT teams, armed better than most countries, used to violently serve ordinary warrants (first action upon entering is to shoot the family dog).
As Graham Nash's sang in 1971 "Military madness is killing our country." That is far more true today than when he raised the concern.
We have become a society that values the weapons industry more than the citizenry. Tax payers gave the military huge amounts of money for weapons - so excessive that the inventory had to be surplussed to domestic police departments. We now have huge SWAT teams, armed better than most countries, used to violently serve ordinary warrants (first action upon entering is to shoot the family dog).
As Graham Nash's sang in 1971 "Military madness is killing our country." That is far more true today than when he raised the concern.
8
Who should be responsible for removing from class a student who is physically resisting commands from the teacher if not resource officers? The teacher themselves? The principal?
1
It's always the South, isn't it?
7
If you are not going to let the resource officer do his/her job, then DON'T HIRE a resource officer.
Where in the world does a student refuse to obey the teacher's order to leave the classroom? If she was being disruptive, and disobedient, she is making a choice to leave the classroom by herself, or being dragged out.
Kudos to the officer in my opinion.
Where in the world does a student refuse to obey the teacher's order to leave the classroom? If she was being disruptive, and disobedient, she is making a choice to leave the classroom by herself, or being dragged out.
Kudos to the officer in my opinion.
15
I volunteer in a middle school and often have talk sessions with students about issues like anger and frustration. The fact that we can not force people to do what we want is a common topic. Students need to be reminded that they choose to set others up to fail by shouting orders to others a.k.a escalating a situation.
Teachers, students, and people with common sense learn that throwing out commands in a heated situation is a direct challenge to the other person and a way to write yourself a, "I told them to do something and they didn't." ticket to extricate yourself of any responsibility in a situation.
When people throw their hands up and say, "But they refused to do what people were telling them, what choice did we have?" I know I'm dealing with someone with almost no social or emotional intelligence.
Teachers, students, and people with common sense learn that throwing out commands in a heated situation is a direct challenge to the other person and a way to write yourself a, "I told them to do something and they didn't." ticket to extricate yourself of any responsibility in a situation.
When people throw their hands up and say, "But they refused to do what people were telling them, what choice did we have?" I know I'm dealing with someone with almost no social or emotional intelligence.
23
Shouting commands at peers is one thing. Refusing the command of an authority figure like a police officer is a whole new ball game.
1
Everyone is responsible for the inhumane behavior the kid has to face in school. How are we supposed to raise responsible citizens if this is what a classroom looks like?
1) We all are responsible as this is our tax dollars at work.
2) The teacher in the class is responsible for calling the police officer. Cops have no place in classroom settings.
3) We cannot expect any responsible behavior from the cops anymore. Maybe the girl should be armed so that she could have fight for her rights.
Makes my stomach hurt, such a disgusting abuse of power.
1) We all are responsible as this is our tax dollars at work.
2) The teacher in the class is responsible for calling the police officer. Cops have no place in classroom settings.
3) We cannot expect any responsible behavior from the cops anymore. Maybe the girl should be armed so that she could have fight for her rights.
Makes my stomach hurt, such a disgusting abuse of power.
8
Does anyone else think it's weird that none of the other students appear to even notice this is going on?
7
The girl refused request and thus should had been removed. Now, the question is would she be removed using the same heavy handed approach if she were not black?
5
What I can tell you is that 3 times during my career at an elite Eastern prep school, students who acted out were removed with considerably more force than I saw on this video. The students were all white males.
13
Why was she resisting arrest?The reason America is a first world country is because the majority of citizens are law abiding and obey rules. Thanks to all the media scrutiny, miscreants of all stripes are now emboldened. They no longer fear authority. We are increasingly turning into a 3rd world country thanks to our indulgent media.
16
For anyone who is seeking to JUSTIFY this treatment of this child by a man three times her size--stop. Just stop. There is no justification. Can't deal with stubborn teenagers intelligently? Don't work in a school. I am a petite female and I have broken up actual fights between high school students with only my voice and demeanor, so I am pretty sure this officer did not need to use that kind of heedless force. He could have seriously injured her. It's clear that his anger took over. What a lousy example for the kids. If you look at the video you can tell that they are scared and stunned. I had some troublesome kids in my classes--sure--but I never would have wanted to see any of them treated this way. I can't believe the teacher didn't say anything. Appalling. And how is that kid going to go back into that classroom with that teacher whom she can clearly not trust?
59
The fifth word on the front page link to this racist editorial is the word "white".
NY Times, what does the Officer being white have to do with this?
I guess it's OK for reporters at the NY Times to be racist.
NY Times, what does the Officer being white have to do with this?
I guess it's OK for reporters at the NY Times to be racist.
5
Two sides to every story..........I would have to see the first part of the video.
6
She was 'disturbing the peace' and so, as Ta-Nehisi Coates writes, 'her body was forfeit.' Is this the US I inhabit? Where selling loose cigarettes allows for you to be choked to death? Contempt of cop gets you shot?
I feel the cancer of racism is stronger than when I was a child 60 years ago.
I feel the cancer of racism is stronger than when I was a child 60 years ago.
11
Why was the cop called into the classroom? Who called the police? What was the girl doing that warranted calling the police? Why can't The New York Times tell us the whole story?
8
Oh, my God!
Will this never end? Why do communities hire thugs for police officers? Even more, why are they protected? That kid, along with all the people in that classroom will never be the same. If we're going to run our country with this kind of violence and brutality, we are truly lost.
That cop is a criminal.
Will this never end? Why do communities hire thugs for police officers? Even more, why are they protected? That kid, along with all the people in that classroom will never be the same. If we're going to run our country with this kind of violence and brutality, we are truly lost.
That cop is a criminal.
11
Oh and imagine if the copy was black doing this to a white girl. Ooopsie!!! Just imagine!!
6
This is, at its current state, just another situation that is being used as fuel for the "White/Black" tension in this country. From the footage shown it seems that the student was asked to get up and leave the room. The student did not comply with the directions the officer of the law was giving her. The office used force to make the student comply. From the video it didn't look as though the student was willingly complying even when being forced. I find it very hard to believe that the same situation would have resulted in a different turn of events even if the student had been white. Respect for our law enforcement must be upheld in this country.
4
Go after the pension, you don't treat children in a classroom this way.
7
What "child" behaves so badly that the police are needed? We are now learning that the teacher who called the police is black.
1
Our nation's police officers appear to be highly trained in escalating conflicts....a trait also shared disproportionately by bullies, hotheads, sociopaths and those with poor coping skills.
Thank goodness for technology, which has shown America in the last year or so that our police departments have built a Blue Wall of Sociopathy fully worthy of third-world disgrace of injustice, violence and apparent racism.
I'd like to say this isn't America, but obviously it is very much America...the video does not lie...although we now know that police will lie when there is no video.
Keep the videos coming America.
Thank goodness for technology, which has shown America in the last year or so that our police departments have built a Blue Wall of Sociopathy fully worthy of third-world disgrace of injustice, violence and apparent racism.
I'd like to say this isn't America, but obviously it is very much America...the video does not lie...although we now know that police will lie when there is no video.
Keep the videos coming America.
79
The video shows the officer did not use a gun or Taser. He didn't strike, kick pr punch the student or apply a choke hold. She topples backward because she holds onto the chair as the officer tries to lift her out of it. Apparently, the student suffered no injuries. If police are not permitted to exercise force when people disobey orders or resist arrest, why call them? I
11
I've worked in schools with heavy minority populations. It's tough. They're tough. The history of this particular student isn't explained, but I bet it's a lot, a lot of obstructive behavior.
9
There are worse things that happen every 5 minutes that don't get the front page of the New York Times. If the racial makeup was different this would be getting no media coverage at all. Dear media: please stop going crazy over every white on black incident while ignoring the enormous amounts of wrongs that have a different racial makeup. Sincerely, The Public.
7
To me what is galling is not the event. The girl was completely out of order. She doesn't decide when or if she is going to comply with a teacher, principal or cop. The cop was out of order for tossing her around. I have no problem with him using force on her though in general.
What is galling to me though is now the FBI is investigating. Leaders instead of tempering things down are simply joining in the social media outrage. Jessie Jackson is arriving on the scene.
This is an incident that sadly happens quite frequently at public schools. Unruly students being confronted by adults charged with subduing them. This isn't a story of national import. This isn't indicative of racial bias. The teacher in the classroom is a black male. Why is it hard to say this is a local matter and will be looked at? Why the need to continue to fan the flames?
What is galling to me though is now the FBI is investigating. Leaders instead of tempering things down are simply joining in the social media outrage. Jessie Jackson is arriving on the scene.
This is an incident that sadly happens quite frequently at public schools. Unruly students being confronted by adults charged with subduing them. This isn't a story of national import. This isn't indicative of racial bias. The teacher in the classroom is a black male. Why is it hard to say this is a local matter and will be looked at? Why the need to continue to fan the flames?
12
It sounds like they had better be hiring adults on police forces instead of these jock/military bullies who want to prove how big and strong they are to students and teachers. Keep the peace? Do these law enforcement officers even know what that means anymore? I do not care what the student did - the police officer was supposed to be the grown up. There is no excuse for this behavior and the fact that police officers continue to be excused is starting to wear VERY thin with the vast majority of us.
19
My grandfather, whom I love, was a police officer for over 30 years. My aunt is also currently an officer who was initially stationed in some pretty rough areas on the South Side of Chicago early in her career. As a petite Caucasian woman just an inch or two above 5ft, she certainly faced and continues to face many potential physical threats that she is able to diffuse using situation appropriate techniques with an aim at preserving life.
I believe that the officers who engage in acts like this and even the motivations for Darren Wilson's actions in Ferguson derive from a primal need to maintain physical/mental control and superiority over potential "enemies" (whether they be legitimate threats, or a schoolgirl in a classroom) mixed with a cynical police culture that tends to generalize large swaths of minority populations as enemies due to cycles of poverty and violence. As a result anti-authoritarian culture tends to permeate these minority communities, and a single individual's clash (whether it be be behavioral,verbal,etc) with an authority figure can become a microcosm of a much larger conflict in the minds of both parties. The most unfortunate thing in my mind is that the adults in these uniforms cannot seem to overcome their most base urges in situations that call for utmost civility even if force is involved. Obviously force should have never even been an option in this case, and the probable lack of punitive action is simply depressing.
I believe that the officers who engage in acts like this and even the motivations for Darren Wilson's actions in Ferguson derive from a primal need to maintain physical/mental control and superiority over potential "enemies" (whether they be legitimate threats, or a schoolgirl in a classroom) mixed with a cynical police culture that tends to generalize large swaths of minority populations as enemies due to cycles of poverty and violence. As a result anti-authoritarian culture tends to permeate these minority communities, and a single individual's clash (whether it be be behavioral,verbal,etc) with an authority figure can become a microcosm of a much larger conflict in the minds of both parties. The most unfortunate thing in my mind is that the adults in these uniforms cannot seem to overcome their most base urges in situations that call for utmost civility even if force is involved. Obviously force should have never even been an option in this case, and the probable lack of punitive action is simply depressing.
18
What these gotcha type videos leave out is how the student was acting before the cop got there and after the cop got there and she was still non-compliant. This is why I would never ever teach in any public school in the US. You are charged with raising kids who have only been raised to buck authority. We need to teach obedience a bit more, its a dying virtue. You do not have a right to resist police. In days past this would have been a coach who got the troublemaker out of the class, and punishment in the form of spanking would have been administered in-house. The student would have seen the consequences of her actions and the class would have as well. Now we value victim-culture to a degree that we simply say we can't do anything, so the whole class suffers and the police are left to do the schools job. Welcome to victim-culture america...this reality was predicted and many warned about who out of control school would become but our administrators listened activist. In the end I feel for the teachers and the good students.
20
The other kids in the class have openly spoken about how she wasn't violent in the slightest, and was pretty quiet. Sorry if your narrative of "victim-culture" doesn't fit with the reality of actual victimization of vulnerable groups.
5
"Teach obedience"? This isn't dog school. Physically abusing a teenage girl because she doesn't "obey" is ridiculous. I think you would be much more comfortable in North Korea; you and the supreme leader seem to be on the same page.
8
So, we just knock some sense into teenagers? Spank them? That's your answer? Go back to some supposed golden era when children were physically assaulted if they acted like children? Actions like this just exacerbate the violence that grows daily in US culture - and reaffirms an epidemic of police violence. This attitude shows a shocking lack of respect for human life - for people as individuals being worthy of even a modicum of respect just because they are people. Instead, the author seems to advocate treating people like animals. Can we really do no better than slam somebody to the ground who refuses to get out of their chair? Really???
3
Whats is surprising is that the teacher and principal are just standing there watching the officer rough up this kid.
Regardless if the child is following the order of the officer or not you simply don't use this kind of force with a child.
No wonder we have racial tensions because of officers like him, he is a disgrace to the police force and should be thrown out.
Regardless if the child is following the order of the officer or not you simply don't use this kind of force with a child.
No wonder we have racial tensions because of officers like him, he is a disgrace to the police force and should be thrown out.
36
What's even more surprising is that none of the other students seem to even notice or care. That leads me to conclude one of two things; either this was commonplace behavior by the cop (extremely unlikely or we would be hearing more on this) or other students felt this was a reasonable way for the cop to deal with the situation. Just for the record, I'm appalled by unequal treatment of minorities by the police, but something is fishy in this specific case.
1
Let's see, which is most damaging to a learning environment.
1. A student refusing to leave the classroom or her desk.
2. A police officer violently ripping her from her desk and dragging her across the floor in front of her classmates.
If I were a parent of a student in that school, I would much prefer the former to the latter.
Do they call the counselors to the school now to deal with the trauma the students experienced witnessing such violence, and not knowing if they might be next?
1. A student refusing to leave the classroom or her desk.
2. A police officer violently ripping her from her desk and dragging her across the floor in front of her classmates.
If I were a parent of a student in that school, I would much prefer the former to the latter.
Do they call the counselors to the school now to deal with the trauma the students experienced witnessing such violence, and not knowing if they might be next?
62
Working in a school that also has a Resource Officer. I can see how this would happen. A teacher asks a student to leave his/her room (do to disruption), if the student refuses, a principal or Resource Officer is called. At some point, if the student continues to refuse to leave, force has to be used. The question is what really happened leading up to the moment he had to forcibly remove her. Make no mistake, once someone refuses to leave a classroom, they are more than likely going to be treated as someone resisting arrest would be treated. The safety of the other students becomes a priority in a situation like this and a student does not have the right to refuse to leave the classroom. Refusal to leave once the administration or RO is involved is paramount to trespassing and is treated as such.
23
These are children in a classroom. Trespassing? Safety of the other students? This was over a cell phone, what was the threat? You force other children to witness the assault and tolerate this type of behavior? Shame on you and this officer.
8
"The safety of the other students becomes a priority in a situation like this"
This is the problem. How does a non-violent student who's simply refusing to leave suddenly become a safety issue for other students? Are you seriously incapable of distinguishing between someone who is passively non-compliant and someone who is acting in a threatening and violent manner?
This is the problem. How does a non-violent student who's simply refusing to leave suddenly become a safety issue for other students? Are you seriously incapable of distinguishing between someone who is passively non-compliant and someone who is acting in a threatening and violent manner?
3
So you should flip them over head over heels and drag them out by the feet? Wow! No wonder American students are so far behind their peers in other developed countries.
4
I understand that many people think the student should have obeyed the SRO when he ordered her to leave the classroom. I agree and hope that were it my daughter, she would follow the officer's orders while exercising her right to remain silent and seek legal counsel. However, on what planet does the student's noncompliance merit that kind of massive escalation of force?
Surely the officer's behavior is the mark of someone who believes that he is untouchable, that he is entitled to dispense punishment as he sees fit, that he makes law rather than enforces it. I would argue that this unchecked violence by state sanctioned actors leads us down the slippery slope toward everyday tyranny despite whatever formal name our government takes. Everyone, liberal and conservative, black and white has a strong interest in avoiding this outcome.
Surely the officer's behavior is the mark of someone who believes that he is untouchable, that he is entitled to dispense punishment as he sees fit, that he makes law rather than enforces it. I would argue that this unchecked violence by state sanctioned actors leads us down the slippery slope toward everyday tyranny despite whatever formal name our government takes. Everyone, liberal and conservative, black and white has a strong interest in avoiding this outcome.
78
What a surprise. You offer not one word on what the officer should have done instead. Tell us, doctor, your solution would have been...?
1
This officer's behavior is completely appalling. What he did was not only utterly dehumanizing to this girl, but also to every other student in that class that had to watch that and couldn't do anything to protect her.
It seems very clear there's a real lack of de-escalation techniques among the cops. She was sitting in a desk, and he went straight to the violent response. The police are experiencing an epidemic of the excessive use of force; how can people not assume that the police are trained to act this way?
It seems very clear there's a real lack of de-escalation techniques among the cops. She was sitting in a desk, and he went straight to the violent response. The police are experiencing an epidemic of the excessive use of force; how can people not assume that the police are trained to act this way?
69
It's not just the police - stand your ground laws, modern interpretation of the 2nd Amendment, concealed carry... American culture condones and encourages escalation to lethal force as a first resort.
5
this would be child abuse if a parent did it. One would call Child Protective Services and the police...
55
Naturally, the kid who filmed the episode is the person charged. The presumption is that filming police brutality prevents them from doing their jobs..
19
That is unfortunately just a symptom of the larger "disease", which is the idea that in order for the police in America to maintain control, the judicial system needs to turn a blind eye in any situation regarding abuse of authority. Filming is not allowed because it creates a clearer narrative that makes the officer's actions much harder to legally defend, yet the emergence of this tech seems to be making little impact on the actual court proceedings which are basically rigged under the moral justification that authority figures must maintain power at all costs.
1
I hope FBI Director James Comey will be asked for a comment on the video. He has a special view (that police rights trump human rights).
18
what about the rights of the other kids in that class to an education? Why is it that so many in the US are so quick to empathize with those who break the rules and fight the police?
4
Start penalizing a cop's pensions for every time they use excessive force. That they make more in a lifetime than the thoughtful teachers who actually do mold young people for better is a disgrace to our society.
33
And who gets to decide what constitutes excessive force? You? Because evidently you believe this video is evidence of excessive force, and to me it's evidence of bad parenting and completely reasonable police work.
11
You mean the same teachers that get tormented by unruly and disruptive students like this young lady?
4
Did we watch the same video? The student did not physically do anything to escalate the aggression to a level where this force would not be excessive. The officer was in no physical danger and there are certainly more tactful and less potentially harmful ways to remove someone from a desk who is half of your size and weight. You can justify this all you want, I'm just glad the girl isn't dead. If she had made a single move we could have had another Garner situation.
27
It would be nice if our politicians, instead of bleating on about "human rights" in China, and so on, paid attention to human rights here at home. But self-reflection is not what we do.
13
And it would be nice if black American activists who are constantly bleating on about "human rights" in Israel and condemning the behavior of Israeli Jews paid attention to the abusive and criminal behavior of their own race right here at home. It would be nice if black activists instead of bleating on about police brutality and anti-black racism 24/7 spent some time taking a good hard look at the abusive behavior of their own race for a while. But self reflection is not what they do.
1
the reason America preaches 'human rights' to the rest of the world is precisely to divert attention from its own appealing record.
3
Worrying about human rights at home and human rights abroad are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the former would help the latter.
Thank goodness! At least there's one cop in the country who hasn't been spooked from doing his his "job" by the possibility that someone might be filming him!
Now, if we could just get him retrained so that he does the RIGHT thing instead of the WRONG.
Why, I was just getting ready to suggest that camera-shy cops be given iPhones to slip int their holsters so they could use to "shoot" back at those predatory citizen Droid "shooters".
Now, if we could just get him retrained so that he does the RIGHT thing instead of the WRONG.
Why, I was just getting ready to suggest that camera-shy cops be given iPhones to slip int their holsters so they could use to "shoot" back at those predatory citizen Droid "shooters".
5
So his job is to beat up a teenage girl for refusing to get out of her seat???
5
1) teacher asks student to put phone away in classroom, student refuses
2) principal asks student to put phone away in classroom, student refuses
3) police offices ask student to leave the class room, student refuses
Now what?
2) principal asks student to put phone away in classroom, student refuses
3) police offices ask student to leave the class room, student refuses
Now what?
38
Take the phone away?
9
Execution? But only if a minor mind you.
Did I answer correctly Sensei?
Or was the answer it's not acceptable to abuse children for being difficult?
Did I answer correctly Sensei?
Or was the answer it's not acceptable to abuse children for being difficult?
24
Amazingly, schools have solved these problems for years without brutal police violence. There are things called detention, suspensions (if really warranted), etc. The children also have parents that can be called.
If you think that the only way to deal with a young teen that doesn't listen to your orders is to slam them to the ground and cuff them, I hope to god you are never in a position of authority over teens... or anybody, for that matter.
If you think that the only way to deal with a young teen that doesn't listen to your orders is to slam them to the ground and cuff them, I hope to god you are never in a position of authority over teens... or anybody, for that matter.
55
This is so egregious - the video and the other two incidents recounted in the story - that it defies comment.
25
Police officers do not belong in our schools. Full stop.
45
How do you maintain order? This is not theoretical, order must be maintained. Schools are out of control now due to there being no-one outside of cops that can act against rule breaking students who are disruptive and in essence thwarting the right to basic education of the other students.
2
Easy to say from quaint New England. Life's a little bit different in other locales. Full Stop.
2
Sorry Michelle but you're wrong. In a lot of schools, there are problematic kids, kids who belong to gangs, carry knives and guns, and will kill people. It's not in the better, upper class schools of course, but it's very prevalent in low income neighborhoods. Teenagers these days get deadly with ease, and the cops are there to protect students from the other students, or from the once-a-week school shooting.
4
I simply don't see how this was justified. He could have broken her back with this move. Simply handcuffing her could have been achieved had she been doing something worthy of arrest and dangerous.
44
Before you begin to jump all over this school police officer for his actions remember why this school felt it was necessary to have an officer in the school. These two "chldren" were disrupting the class and the TEACHER called for his assistance. What did the kid say to the officer when he he asked her to get up and come with him. Unless you have taught in a Middle School or High School recntly you have no basis to condem the officers actions.
1