A story only the Backroomers can love- um...

[CrossLOPER]

Can't say anything about this.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/03/sch....ap/index.html

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Five fifth-grade students face criminal charges after authorities said four of them had sex in front of other students in an unsupervised classroom and kept a classmate posted as a lookout for teachers.

The students were arrested Tuesday at the Spearsville school in rural north Louisiana, authorities said. Two 11-year-old girls, a 12-year-old boy and a 13-year old boy were charged with obscenity, a felony. An 11-year-old boy, the alleged lookout, was charged with being an accessory.

"After 44 years of doing this work, nothing shocks me anymore," said Union Parish Sheriff Bob Buckley. "But this comes pretty close."

Authorities said the incident happened March 27 at the school, which houses students from kindergarten through 12th grade. A high school teacher normally watches the fifth-grade class at the time, but went to an assembly for older students and the class was inadvertently left unattended, Buckley said. (Watch authorities try to determine if a crime was committed Video)

The class, which had around 10 other students, was alone for about 15 minutes, he said.

"When no teacher showed up, the four began to have sex in the classroom with the other elementary students in the classroom with them," he said.

It took a day for authorities to find out about the incident. A student who had been in the class told a high school student about it the next day, Buckley said. The student told a teacher, and school officials notified the sheriff's office. Detectives began questioning students Thursday.

School officials did not return calls seeking comment.

The students, who were not identified because of their age, were released to their parents after their arrests, Buckley said. They will next be arraigned in juvenile court.

A message seeking comment from the district attorney was not immediately returned.

Buckley said it was unclear what penalties the children could face.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

So who's going to jail for this one? Anyone?

[doc_bean]

Over here they'd just classify it under 'youthful experimenting' and let it slide

[Odin]

I dont know who will go to jail (if any) but leaving a class unattended is poor management. I dont think you can hold the school responsible for the kids conduct, but you can hold them responsible for not having coverage for the class.

[doc_bean]

I dont know who will go to jail (if any) but leaving a class unattended is poor management. I dont think you can hold the school responsible for the kids conduct, but you can hold them responsible for not having coverage for the class.

Right, like leaving a class unattended for a while doesn't happen in every school

[Odin]

Right, like leaving a class unattended for a while doesn't happen in every school

Does that make it alright doc bean or am I missing your point ?

[doc_bean]

Does that make it alright doc bean or am I missing your point ?

Perhaps not, but I fear what a lawsuit based on that would do to the US education system...

[Odin]

Perhaps not, but I fear what a lawsuit based on that would do to the US education system...

the U.S. education system in my view has become a secondary consideration under the republican rule and I doubt highly that this story would go any further then the local level.

My guess is that a parent or two might have a civil lawsuit and an administrator or teacher might be fired, beyond that I dont see it gaining any type of national adgenda traction...

[doc_bean]

the U.S. education system in my view has become a secondary consideration under the republican rule and I doubt highly that this story would go any further then the local level.

My guess is that a parent or two might have a civil lawsuit and an administrator or teacher might be fired, beyond that I dont see it gaining any type of national adgenda traction...

But imagine the precedent and consequences.

Teacher: "Damn, i forgot to make enough copies for all, since I can't leave you alone and go to the Xerox machine I suppose we'll just sit here for an hour"

Nevermind the secondary issues, like sending a student to the principal or another class, (s)he'd have to be accompagnied , which would either mean no one goes anywhere or they'd have to hire extra people just to move students around the school.

Besides, leaving a class alone is pretty standard, if there was a good reason to do so no one should get fired or sued.

[Del Arroyo]

I can remember my elementary school classes getting left alone on a regular basis, but no one started having sex with eachother.

[Odin]

Teacher: "Damn, i forgot to make enough copies for all, since I can't leave you alone and go to the Xerox machine I suppose we'll just sit here for an hour"

Point taken.

Nevermind the secondary issues, like sending a student to the principal or another class, (s)he'd have to be accompagnied , which would either mean no one goes anywhere or they'd have to hire extra people just to move students around the school.

I cant speak for all american schools, but the schools my kids go to if they go to the principal of another classroom there is a hall monitor (a teacher) who escorts them.

Besides, leaving a class alone is pretty standard, if there was a good reason to do so no one should get fired or sued.

It may be standard but the story said that the teacher

assembly went to an assembly for older students and the class was inadvertently left unattended

So either that teacher or an admin in charge of scheduling made a mistake. Since a serious incident did in fact take place at a minimum some one should be asked why this happened.

I dont advocate firing people for making mistakes, but I do believe that if you make a mistake you should face the consequence. I am a perfect example, I have been pulled over for speeding before, everyone else was doing it to, but since I was one who was caught I had to pay the fine. If everyone else is doing it anyway whats the point of having the speed limit?

Its a guideline to follow to achieve some modicum of safety, and when that saftey is compromissed there should be some form of penalty.

[doc_bean]

I cant speak for all american schools, but the schools my kids go to if they go to the principal of another classroom there is a hall monitor (a teacher) who escorts them.

Dear lord...

[Odin]

Dear lord...

Yes thats probably what the 25-50 or so students cried out that were being masacred in schools in the U.S. in the 90's (columbine the leading one).

I live in Massachusetts, I dont know how well you know the states but i live in thee most liberal part of the United States hands down, and even here after the plethera of school shootings new policies were implimented to ensure saftey in schools.

In my kids case, there schools have the monitor....

[Agent Miles]

I can hardly wait for the TV show, "Are you smarter than a 5th grader having sex?"

[Odin]

I can hardly wait for the TV show, "Are you smarter than a 5th grader having sex?"

Boy, your a real funny guy Agent Miles...

[CrossLOPER]

Yes thats probably what the 25-50 or so students cried out that were being masacred in schools in the U.S. in the 90's (columbine the leading one).

Not sure how a hall monitor is going to counter some dude with a combat shotgun or a micro-uzi

[Odin]

Not sure how a hall monitor is going to counter some dude with a combat shotgun or a micro-uzi

part of the plan was to have an adult present with children as much as possible. To combat the dude with the uzi well thats a harder nut to crack.

Right now, at my sons elementry school I cannot get into it, there is a bell I have to ring at all doors, and intercom systems which i am asked my business at the school, and then someone comes down to verify I am who I say I am based on my picture ID that I have given them a copy of.

[CrossLOPER]

part of the plan was to have an adult present with children as much as possible. To combat the dude with the uzi well thats a harder nut to crack.

Right now, at my sons elementry school I cannot get into it, there is a bell I have to ring at all doors, and intercom systems which i am asked my business at the school, and then someone comes down to verify I am who I say I am based on my picture ID that I have given them a copy of.

Well it is more secure than the average school, but if you really want get in and kill someone, that's not going to be much of a challenge. Also, it does not do anything about the "occasional inside nut case" factor

[Andres]

I cant speak for all american schools, but the schools my kids go to if they go to the principal of another classroom there is a hall monitor (a teacher) who escorts them.

Does the hall monitor has to escort a kid that is going to the bathroom as well?

[Odin]

Does the hall monitor has to escort a kid that is going to the bathroom as well?

in my sons school the monitor waits outside of the bathroom.

[Odin]

Well it is more secure than the average school, but if you really want get in and kill someone, that's not going to be much of a challenge. Also, it does not do anything about the "occasional inside nut case" factor

Well yes i agree, in the US given the freedoms we do have if someone really does want to kill someone or a group of people they can plan it out and execute the plan there is very little you can do.

That being said, schools are soft targets so they do what they can with the capabilities they have. Locking down the school to outsiders at a minimum gives you at least that one barrier of defense (as minimal as it is).

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Charging pre-teens with obscenity? That's a measured and effective way to deal with this issue.

[CrossLOPER]

Charging pre-teens with obscenity? That's a measured and effective way to deal with this issue.

I think the problem is that they did it in front of a group of students. If they had their little orgy somewhere else then there probably would not be a problem. I blame the lookout.

Strange.

In a local high school near where I live, they would have handed out punishments to the students who watched. Probably a method to keep lawsuits at bay.

[Marshal Murat]

Wow, this was strange.

In my entire school life, the closest came when a boy and girl touched each other, and they were given Out-of-school suspension.
I think that is really amazing.

I mean, we get left alone for some time, but to start having sex? They have some repressed problems.

[Husar]

in my sons school the monitor waits outside of the bathroom.

You do realize that they use to store the weapons and ammo inside the bathroom somewhere? Maybe cameras would work better, together with automatic machine gun turrets at the end of every hallway, but the school you described already sounds like a prison anyway.
Here in Germany the solution to school shootings is criminalising violent computer games, which will of course make us all so much nicer because we all know that before the invention of said game, violence didn't exist.

Well, does your son feel comfortable with all that supervision which constantly reminds him of the danger of being shot?
I mean everytime that monitor would escort me, I'd think "he only does that because I'm in danger of getting shot or to make sure I don't shoot people". Now is that what we want our kids to think about in school?

[HoreTore]

part of the plan was to have an adult present with children as much as possible. To combat the dude with the uzi well thats a harder nut to crack.

Right now, at my sons elementry school I cannot get into it, there is a bell I have to ring at all doors, and intercom systems which i am asked my business at the school, and then someone comes down to verify I am who I say I am based on my picture ID that I have given them a copy of.

Hmm...your kids are in jail? That sounds more like a maximum security prison than a school.

[Ice]

Wow, this was strange.

In my entire school life, the closest came when a boy and girl touched each other, and they were given Out-of-school suspension.
I think that is really amazing.

I mean, we get left alone for some time, but to start having sex? They have some repressed problems.

My friend from high school would get a blowjob every morning in AP Biology class. The teacher was that oblivious.

[doc_bean]

Wow, this was strange.

In my entire school life, the closest came when a boy and girl touched each other, and they were given Out-of-school suspension.
I think that is really amazing.

I mean, we get left alone for some time, but to start having sex? They have some repressed problems.

Seriously, the US education system seems far more scary then the gun nuts. What kind of paranoid, oppressed/repressed children are you trying to raise over there ?

*note: Germany banning violent games is also ridicoulous.

[English assassin]

Orgies at 11? When I was eleven I was still playing with model aeroplanes?

Seriously, the US education system seems far more scary then the gun nuts. What kind of paranoid, oppressed/repressed children are you trying to raise over there ?

Sorry, was the point of that post that pre-teens having orgies is healthy?

My friend from high school would get a blowjob every morning in AP Biology class. The teacher was that oblivious.

I wonder if anyone has considered this as a solution to truancy?

[doc_bean]

Sorry, was the point of that post that pre-teens having orgies is healthy?

Heh, no. There's something seriously wrong about 11y olds having sex, especially orgies with spectators

I'm just surprised by the level of supervision that seems to be standard in US schools. Perhaps if you teach kids to act responsibly even when no one is watching them they might not do stuff like this ? But I'm no child psychologist. Just surprised by yet another cultural difference...

[Odin]

As expected, the euro boys take yet another opportunity to find a way (all be it somewhat subtle) to bash the U.S. and a its general populace.

A testament to thier lack of ability to have a somewhat civil conversation. Really is a shame, I mean gun torrents, prison, repressed children? I didnt realize that the Backroom had become so juvenille, I thought it had been cleaned up somewhat, and safe to expect a reasoned conversation.

Yet again, my expectations for my european friends are to high