Third-graders accused of plot to attack teacher

[Praxius]

A group of third-graders plotted to attack their teacher, and a broken steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape and other items are seen in this photo provided by Chief of Police Tony Tanner of Waycross, Ga., Tuesday, April 1, 2008. (AP / Waycross Georgia Police Department)

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080402/third_graders_080402/20080402?hub=World

WAYCROSS, Ga. -- A group of children ages 8 to 10 apparently were mad at their teacher because she had scolded one of them for standing on a chair, authorities say.

That led the third-graders, as many as nine boys and girls, to plot an attack on the teacher at Center Elementary School in south Georgia.

Police Chief Tony Tanner said the students apparently planned to knock the teacher unconscious with a glass paperweight, bind her with handcuffs and duct tape and then stab her with a broken steak knife.

The scheme involved a division of roles, Tanner said. One child's job was to cover windows so no one could see outside, and another was supposed to clean up after the attack.

"We're not sure at this point in the investigation how many of the students actually knew the intent was to hurt the teacher," Tanner said.

School officials had alerted police Friday after a pupil tipped off a teacher that a girl had taken a weapon to school.

Tanner said the teacher told detectives the children weren't known as troublemakers.
"You can't dismiss it," Tanner said. "But because they are kids, they may have thought this was like a cartoon -- we do whatever and then she stands up and she's OK. That's a hard call."

The purported target teaches third-grade students with learning disabilities, including attention deficit disorder, delayed development and hyperactivity, friends and parents said.

Two of the students were arrested on juvenile charges Tuesday and a third arrest was expected. District Attorney Rick Currie said other students told investigators they didn't take the plot seriously or insisted they had decided not to participate.

"Some of the kids said, `We thought they were just kidding,'" Currie said. "Another child was supposed to bring a toy pistol, and he told a detective he didn't bring it because he thought he would get in trouble."

Currie said the children are too young to be charged as adults, and probably too young to be sentenced to a youth detention center.

"We did not hear anybody say they intended to kill her, but could they have accidentally killed her? Absolutely," Tanner said. "We feel like if they weren't interrupted, there would have been an attempt. Would they have been successful? We don't know."

Currie said he decided to seek juvenile charges against two girls, ages 9 and 10, who brought the knife and paperweight and an 8-year-old boy who brought tape. He said they face charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, and both girls are being charged with taking weapons to school.

Nine children have been given discipline up to and including long-term suspension, said Theresa Martin, spokeswoman for the Ware County school system. She would not be more specific but said none of the children had been back to school since the case came to light.

School system policy says any student who brings "anything reasonably considered to be a weapon" is to be expelled for at least the remainder of the school year.

This has been changed since I read it earlier today... but the forums were down for some odd reason.

Apparently from the earlier version, many parents of students in the class demanded their expulsion for this act, they commented on what would have occured if it was one of their children who were stabbed or attacked during this whole situation.

• One planned to block out the windows so no one could see what was happening inside.
• They were going to knock her out
• Tape her up
• Stab her
• And one was going to clean it up afterwards.

Sorry.... if they're old enough to try and plan something like this, they should be old enough to goto jail. Good thing I wasn't their teacher.... lil' bastards would be in for a fight.

I don't care what gender you are, how old you are, or how mentally challenged you are.... you come at me and attempt to inflict injury or death.... you're gonna be risking life. I would hope everyone would have this mentality. Don't plan on attacking or killing someone unless you're willing to die in the process.

"Aw, but Prax, these are just little kids with mental disorders."

Oh, I'll give them a mental disorder all right! *shakes fist*

They want to play big kid games, they can recieve big kid consequences. All their parents should be charged too.... for being idiots and not teaching their kids to use their damn brains.

 

[talloola]

I'm so glad something was done before any violence, as, now the can deal with the
'almost' crime. It is an eye opener to see children that young stooping to such violent
stupidity, and I hope all involved, (including parents), are dealth with seriously, and they
show the rest of the country that 'this' is not a good idea.

 

[karrie]

Counseling counseling counseling

Oh, and get them all some damn counseling!!

 

[Lester]

What they need is - a good swift kick in the ass. f*ckin brats.

 

[gerryh]

These kids learned this behaviour from somewhere......Counseling, and find out where they learned this behaviour.

 

[talloola]

My opinion would be that, a couple of 'aggressive' kids with 'sick' leadership ability,
dragged others, (wimpy followers) to go along with this bad deed.

Hope they sort out the differences in the kids and give them the appropriate counselling
for their own weaknesses, and, if the parents accept the responsibility for what their
children have done, some good could come out of this, but many kids are what they are,
because they have 'dumb' parents, but not all of course.

Parents should now realize just how much they sit around the kitchen table, 'trashing' their kid's teacher, not realizing, (or maybe they do), that their 'sweety pies' are listening.
Stick up for your teachers, support them, and let your children know that you do, and meet with the teachers from time to time, so that you know just what the problems are.

 

[Lester]

When I was young we wouldn't dare talk back to our elders let alone our teachers. but some kids today even nine or ten have no prob telling you to f*ck off- it's a sign of the times i'm afraid, and they learn it from their parents.

 

[talloola]

When I was young we wouldn't dare talk back to our elders let alone our teachers. but some kids today even nine or ten have no prob telling you to f*ck off- it's a sign of the times i'm afraid, and they learn it from their parents.

Yes I agree, the teachers were the boss. We were the low end of the totem pole, sitting
there to learn and behave ourselves. The behavior in the schools now, is sickening, and
the lack of respect shown the teachers is frightening to me.
Some of these teachers now days, were those same kids swearing and disrespecting their
teachers, so now, as teachers, they don't find that behavior much to be concerned about
at all. But we sure do.
And, yes, there are some bad teachers as well, I know that.

 

[Vereya]

Counseling counseling counseling

Oh, and get them all some damn counseling!!

Maybe a good whipping and some strict discipline will help as well?

 

[Lester]

time

Maybe a good whipping and some strict discipline will help as well?

When I was a kid we got 2 warnings there was no third.