Principal Accused Of Child Abuse After Rolling Student Off Bus

[62julietandvoid]

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A principal in Mason County is accused of abusing an 11-year-old student on a school bus, and it was caught on camera.

However, the principal’s supporters say the video only tells one side of the story.

Point Pleasant Intermediate Principal Cameron Moffett was arrested earlier this month and charged with felony child abuse.

The student’s family is now suing Moffett and the Mason County Board of Education.

On March 21, security cameras on a bus recorded Moffett pulling student Zachary Plants from his seat and rolling him down the bus stairs.

The criminal complaint says once outside the bus, Moffett held Plants to the pavement with his knee to his back.

Mason County Superintendent Suzanne Dickens had no comment, but in an email to county principals, she said she'd reviewed the footage and did not consider Moffett's actions to be child abuse, and she was supporting Moffett.

Those who support the principal say the video first shows the boy causing problems on the bus, with teachers repeatedly telling him to sit down, and he refuses to listen, and they called the principal on board for help.

Plants' family lawyer Mike Clifford says the boy has special needs and was being bullied by other students before Moffett arrived, and there was no excuse for the principal's actions.

"They apparently have little regard for special needs students in Mason County, which is a tragedy," Clifford said.

Students at Point Pleasant High School were supposed to be out of classes Friday to get ready for prom Friday night. Wednesday they learned they'll be off Monday instead.

Some students and parents claim this is all to accommodate staff members who want to attend Moffet's preliminary hearing Monday.

"Some kids were all for it,” Point Pleasant junior Ashley Sayre said. “A lot of other kids were way against it and said it wasn't right, what he'd done, and it wasn't right that they took our prom day away just for that."

Video at link
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/P...146672955.html

http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/P...146672955.html

[Valasca]

However, the principal’s supporters say the video only tells one side of the story.

Oh, of course! No one knows that better than us Demonites. Cause, you know, only God can judge.

[Jerri Blank]

Man that kid was throwing one hell of a fit before he got rolled out. Heres the thing though what the hell are people suppose to do with a out of control child? you don't want them man handled by the school? the school will call the cops and hand cuff a 6-year-old who is jumping on the furniture, then everyone's pissed.

I don't condone the whole rolling a child off a bus onto the pavement but you can't let them go ape shit either. What is the solution to this problem?

[AngelFire]

I am a mother of teenagers, as many here are too. I have one that is soon to be 18, and he was a pain the ass. Every day it was new story how so and so teacher lied on him, the principal would *cough* lie on him. Anyone with authority or that went against the facts of the story as he wanted you to believe, would lie on him. I was, at first, the typical mom, I thought the ‘mean” staff was after my kid. Then I started realizing the problem is my heathen child.

I strongly believe that kids nowadays think that they have some sort of “get out of jail free card’ and can act all sorts of stupid and disrespectful ways. That’s the message most parents send when they too go all stupid and don’t accept that their kid is a problem.

School Staff are human beings too and get frustrated with an unruly kid, they do. They can’t touch them, or they get sued. But when a fucker like this goes ape shirt what are school staff supposed to do, really?

Have you guys seen the size of some of these kids? They are built like grown ass men and women. So what do you do when you have a big ass kid throwing a fucking fit, and you have a bus filled with other kids, and staff? Should they run the risk of being hurt by this kid and his bad temper?? I would be one fucking pissed off bitch if one of my kids was hurt while another was throwing a shit fit. Then you’d have to deal with me, and I can tell you LAUSD does NOT like dealing with me.

Now had this principal had tossed the kid down without a reason, I would be the first one asking for his head on a platter. But I am on the fence about this one….

[biteme]

If others can't raise your child for you, what good are they
I wouldn't be surprised if some parents encourage wild behavior so they can sue
You go ahead and do whatever you want Hon, if they touch you we'll sue and buy you a nice new game box and biggest TV Screen made

[Dakota Valkyrie]

The attorney for a Mason County elementary school principal accused of assaulting an 11-year-old student said that video footage released by a lawyer for the boy's family tells an incomplete story.
[...]

Jim Lees, attorney for Moffett, said the footage is misleading. He said the family's attorney is trying to skew the facts by releasing only portions of the video.

The Point Pleasant Police Department and the school system have copies of the video, but Lees said the police will not give it to him. However, he said someone gave the video to Zachary's attorney.

Lees has seen only the portions of the video given to media outlets, but he said other parts would show that Zachary "took a swing" on the bus before Moffett came on board.

The force Moffett used was similar to what police would have employed to remove the boy if they had been called, Lees said. He thought Moffett had similar authority to use that type of force.

"Are you supposed to wait until you get kicked in the balls?" Lees asked, questioning what he considers the state's limited scope for physical contact between a school employee and student.

He referred questions about school employee training concerning physical interactions with students to the school system.

Dale Shobe, president of the Mason County school board, said he had reviewed the same video and "couldn't make a decision" as to whether Moffett committed a crime. However, he said the charges of felony abuse do not fit.

"I don't feel that he's guilty of felony child abuse," Shobe said.

The boy has a "past history" that needs to be called into question, Lees continued, and he thinks reports that Zachary is a special needs student are misleading.

"They're acting like this kid is a Special Olympics kid," Lees said, adding that children with behavioral problems are also referred to as special needs students.

Lees said there were laws that prevented him from getting into details about Zachary outside the confines of a closed court hearting.
[...]

http://www.dailymail.com/News/201204180350

[AngelFire]

He shouldn't be charged with Felony child abuse, the kid, in my opnion, should be charged. I know it's not the popular opinion but I am not running for Prom Queen, so fuck it.

Kids also need to be made responsible for their bad choices. Otherwise, how will they ever learn?

[VAS1326]

I for one would like to see the entire video. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I agree what are you suppose to do in a situation like that? I do not have the answer.

My son gets extra help at school for being considered "emotionally delayed" and we have had our fair share of issues with his bad behavior since kindergarden. He is now in 3rd grade and is 8 years old. I can say he is doing much better with the bad behavior side of things. I am mostly to blame for his problems. He was 3 when his dad died and I was a very inactive parent. I let my children do what they wanted as long as they were not hurting themselves or others because it was easier for me to deal with. I gave them whatever they wanted because I felt guilty that their dad died. I let the entire structure of our lives go to shit because I wasn't coping well with my own grief. Shut them up and keep them happy was the way I did things for too long.

Then once I snapped out of it (it hurt to see my son so far behind and being the bad kid at school) I started laying down the law and enforcing consquences. His behavior had improved probably 95 percent. He still has issues with talking out of turn and becomming easily frusterated if something is too hard in his eyes. However; at least I'm not picking him up once a week for harmful behaviors.

I started really getting involved a few years ago and his progress in school is amazing. He is caught up to grade level in every area except his writing skills which need to be refined. He still gets extra help at the school and is still caterogized as "special needs" because of his emotional issues. He needs extra help to stay on course but is doing well. My child is not disabled in any way except for his anger/emotional issues which are pretty much in check. However; the school considers him special ed even though he is in a normal classroom and goes to learning center for extra help daily. He also does a half hour of speech. He's graduated OT because he is completely up to level with his motor skills which were behind. Parental involvement can make the biggest difference in how these kids turn out and how fast the schools can get them where they need to be.

I guess my point here is that I'm willing to bet the problem with these over unruly kids at school is there is no discipline or structure at home. My son didn't care if he spent the day in the principles office. He did start to care when he had to come home and do nothing because he was bad. When the effects of his behavior at school started affecting his good time at home we started seeing a lot of progress in his behavior and school work. I'm betting this kid who is 11 years old doesn't have the support needed at home. So then the kid goes to school and acts like jerk the parents want to blame someone other than themselves. This boy will probably always be a problem child unless the parents step in and assume responsibility for their child's actions.

It's sad the school's have to resort to calling police or taking actions as this principle did. Like stated by many here I don't know what should be done by the school to deal with such students either. It's a tough one.

[biteme]

He shouldn't be charged with Felony child abuse, the kid, in my opnion, should be charged. I know it's not the popular opinion but I am not running for Prom Queen, so fuck it.

Kids also need to be made responsible for their bad choices. Otherwise, how will they ever learn?

Personally I take issue with the parents, seems this child has had behavioral issues in the past, no matter how this was handled they were going to blame anyone but themselves or the child and that to me is were the problem starts

[biteme]

I for one would like to see the entire video. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I agree what are you suppose to do in a situation like that? I do not have the answer.

My son gets extra help at school for being considered "emotionally delayed" and we have had our fair share of issues with his bad behavior since kindergarden. He is now in 3rd grade and is 8 years old. I can say he is doing much better with the bad behavior side of things. I am mostly to blame for his problems. He was 3 when his dad died and I was a very inactive parent. I let my children do what they wanted as long as they were not hurting themselves or others because it was easier for me to deal with. I gave them whatever they wanted because I felt guilty that their dad died. I let the entire structure of our lives go to shit because I wasn't coping well with my own grief. Shut them up and keep them happy was the way I did things for too long.

Then once I snapped out of it (it hurt to see my son so far behind and being the bad kid at school) I started laying down the law and enforcing consquences. His behavior had improved probably 95 percent. He still has issues with talking out of turn and becomming easily frusterated if something is too hard in his eyes. However; at least I'm not picking him up once a week for harmful behaviors.

I started really getting involved a few years ago and his progress in school is amazing. He is caught up to grade level in every area except his writing skills which need to be refined. He still gets extra help at the school and is still caterogized as "special needs" because of his emotional issues. He needs extra help to stay on course but is doing well. My child is not disabled in any way except for his anger/emotional issues which are pretty much in check. However; the school considers him special ed even though he is in a normal classroom and goes to learning center for extra help daily. He also does a half hour of speech. He's graduated OT because he is completely up to level with his motor skills which were behind. Parental involvement can make the biggest difference in how these kids turn out and how fast the schools can get them where they need to be.

I guess my point here is that I'm willing to bet the problem with these over unruly kids at school is there is no discipline or structure at home. My son didn't care if he spent the day in the principles office. He did start to care when he had to come home and do nothing because he was bad. When the effects of his behavior at school started affecting his good time at home we started seeing a lot of progress in his behavior and school work. I'm betting this kid who is 11 years old doesn't have the support needed at home. So then the kid goes to school and acts like jerk the parents want to blame someone other than themselves. This boy will probably always be a problem child unless the parents step in and assume responsibility for their child's actions.

It's sad the school's have to resort to calling police or taking actions as this principle did. Like stated by many here I don't know what should be done by the school to deal with such students either. It's a tough one.

Look see a parent, we'd have less issues with misbehaved children if we had more of those
Congratulations, keep up the good work

[62julietandvoid]

I too would love to see the rest. I don't see nothing wrong with rolling someone (if they deserve it).

[VAS1326]

Look see a parent, we'd have less issues with misbehaved children if we had more of those
Congratulations, keep up the good work

Thank you. I have worked hard with the staff at his elementry school and together we put plans in place at home and school to work together to help get him where he needs to be. He is currently undergoinog ADHD testing to see if maybe that is part of his learning issue since he does seem to have a hard time staying on track. I have been to a lot of meetings with the principle, classroom teacher, specials teachers and the school physchologist. I will never forget the IEP meeting where I told them flat out I was to blame for his behavior

The school physchologist had told me in all her years she has never had a parent take responsibility in the child's issues like I have. Both his 2nd and 3rd grade teachers along with the principle have told me most parent's aren't willing to accept the child even has a problem let alone work so hard to correct it. His current teacher told me sometimes it's hard to report displine problems to some parents because they get really defensive. She told me she appreciated my willingness to help resolve the issues he has had this year (not nearly as bad as the past few years but like I said he's a work in progress)

I feel blessed my kids go to a school that works so hard to help him and me out. They really have been great and I trully appreciate it but I know they couldn't do it without me supporting their efforts on my end. Once I started working with them he has improved so much it makes my heart beam with pride in how far he has come.

I take more issue with the parents of this student than I do the school staff. I'm sure this child is not an angel at home. They just don't want to admit failure (which is hard but suck it up and do what is right for your kid) It's so much easier to make it somebody else's problem. I don't believe it is ever too late either. The boy in the article may be older than my son but he can still be put on track if his parents would care less about who's "wronged" them and more about how they wronged their child then this would not have happened.

[VAS1326]

I too would love to see the rest. I don't see nothing wrong with rolling someone (if they deserve it).

I'm thinking the kid refused to leave the bus when asked too. So he rolled him out. It's not like he dragged him out by his hair or was hitting the kid along the way. I'm thinking it was the best way the principle could try to get him off the bus without hurting him if he refused to get up and walk out on his own free will. However; I think I rather see the whole video and how it went down before saying who was wrong and who was right.

[62julietandvoid]

I'm thinking the kid refused to leave the bus when asked too. So he rolled him out. It's not like he dragged him out by his hair or was hitting the kid along the way. I'm thinking it was the best way the principle could try to get him off the bus without hurting him if he refused to get up and walk out on his own free will. However; I think I rather see the whole video and how it went down before saying who was wrong and who was right.

Yeah I noticed the video started with a gesture from the guy and thought I heard the kid say no in a sobby voice. That second of a scene made me feel for the kid. I had teaches who (although it was never done to me) would just SNAP and shake the shit out of a student and sometimes I laughed so hard. But special needs or not if this little guy was being picked on to the point of crying and screaming, rolling him out is pretty dehumanizing. I could go on but I'm a leave it right there for now. Is a nice morning, sunny and in the 70's.

[biteme]

Yeah I noticed the video started with a gesture from the guy and thought I heard the kid say no in a sobby voice. That second of a scene made me feel for the kid. I had teaches who (although it was never done to me) would just SNAP and shake the shit out of a student and sometimes I laughed so hard. But special needs or not if this little guy was being picked on to the point of crying and screaming, rolling him out is pretty dehumanizing. I could go on but I'm a leave it right there for now. Is a nice morning, sunny and in the 70's.

I was under the impression the child was doing the "picking on" and this was the result of his actions

[Pene784]

Oh for crying out loud. The kid had a couple of scratches. He wasn't badly wounded nor did he receive any lasting injuries. If he was being bullied the kid should have addressed it with staff and his parents instead of acting like a giant asshole. When the principle boarded the bus he had to deal with the immediate issue at hand which was a shrieking, fighting, defiant kid that was put of control. Later all the tapes should had been reviewed and if indeed the kid was being bullied, the bullies should have been appropriately punished. Charging the principle with a crime for handling the situation is just letting all kids know that they can do and say whatever they want and there isn't a freaking thing school administration can do about it.

[VAS1326]

Yeah I noticed the video started with a gesture from the guy and thought I heard the kid say no in a sobby voice. That second of a scene made me feel for the kid. I had teaches who (although it was never done to me) would just SNAP and shake the shit out of a student and sometimes I laughed so hard. But special needs or not if this little guy was being picked on to the point of crying and screaming, rolling him out is pretty dehumanizing. I could go on but I'm a leave it right there for now. Is a nice morning, sunny and in the 70's.

I think that is why I want to see more video. I want to know what happened prior to what we've seen. Was he being picked on? Was he the one causing a fuss? What really happened. I would think if he was being picked on he would welcome leaving the bus and the kids picking on him behind. Unless he really is somehow severly emotionally impaired (they have not said what exactly is wrong with the boy) and he is prone to becomming highly emotional and stubborn when he feels wronged.

I am anxiously awaiting more info on this case.

[Jerri Blank]

I don't think he is delayed because I think they would always have him in the front of the bus like they do here where I get my niece of the school bus.

This video is 8 mins long - but someone added some personal comments at the beginning.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Felony child abuse charges against a Mason County school principal are going to the grand jury for consideration. A magistrate forwarded the charge against Cameron Moffett during an emotionally charged preliminary hearing Monday morning in Point Pleasant.

Moffett, the principal at Point Pleasant Intermediate School, was charged by State Police after an incident on a school bus last month in which he forcibly removed an 11-year-old special needs student who had refused to leave the bus when asked.

The Mason County prosecutor called one witness to the stand. The driver of the school bus testified what happened as students were preparing to go on a field trip. Moffett's attorney, Jim Lees, called two teachers to the stand who said the student was disruptive and had to be removed from the bus.

There were dozens of teachers and community members inside the courtroom for the hearing. It had to be moved to a larger courtroom because of the crowd.

MetroNews reporter Jennifer Smith, who was in the courtroom, says the reaction was split when Magistrate Gail Roush announced her decision to send the charges to the grand jury.

"The courtroom just erupted," Smith said. "One half started to clap, the other half started to boo. Deputies had to come in, quiet everyone down and make sure everyone got out safely."

http://www.58wchs.com/includes/news_...1&section_id=7

[VAS1326]

I don't think he is delayed because I think they would always have him in the front of the bus like they do here where I get my niece of the school bus.

This video is 8 mins long - but someone added some personal comments at the beginning.

I find it odd the camera closest to the incident is black. It appears the kid was doing the bullying. He pushed another kid into the aisle. It appearred the bus aide talked to him and she says I asked him to move up front (she sent another child to get the principle) and then the bus driver went back to talk to him. The bus driver asked him moved to the front but he refused to move. When they are evacuating the bus she tells the bus aide about the conversation. Then when the principle comes in he tries to tell the child to "come here" the boy obviously didn't comply. The principle spends a moment talking to the boy before ordering the other kids off the bus (probalby for their safety because he knew he had to remove him)

The bus driver told him to come up front. As said in the video the other kids were egging him on but when the bus driver tells you to move to the front you do it. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what the bus driver said the response from the kid was. She told him move to the front like your father said. So obviously if the bus driver had talked to father before this boy has been a problem. It appears after the bus is clear the boy started to walk out and then plopped down in his seat in the middle of a fit. To me it appears how my son used to act when he knows he is going to be in trouble and didn't want his parents to find out. Back a few years ago if he knew the school was calling us he would scream and have a similar fit (Thank God he doesn't do that anymore)

Truth be told I think at the end the principle done lost his patience. When the kid plopped back down he asked him to go for just a short time before grabbing him. I had a hard time watching it. Maybe because my kid used to act that way and I don't think I would like seeing my son treated that way. Though I really don't know what else the principle was suppose to do. He already tried to bargain with him and get him off the bus. The kid was obviously defiant. There was no way to pick up a child that size and carry him off the bus so I don't know what the appropriate thing would have been. It's too bad the kid didn't just keep walking or simply move to the front of the bus when asked.

[VAS1326]

http://www.58wchs.com/includes/news_...31671§ion_id=7

It was a field trip. No wonder the kid was so reluctant to get off the bus. However; if you can't behave on the bus and do what you are asked than maybe it's better you not go on the trip. The chapperones are responsible for multiple kids in an outing and cannot be dealing with a defiant child at the risk of the other children on their watch.

This is a hard one for me because I do feel kind of bad the way he was rolled out of the bus screaming but at the same time they couldn't just leave him there. I don't know how much more time they should have tried talking him off the bus because they probably had a schedule to keep. I'm thinking he pushed another student (which would have got my kid sent home) and they still gave him a chance (by letting him stay but sit in front) and then when he was asked to get off the bus he refused.

I can see though after watching it with sound how that would upset the parents. I mean nobody wants to hear their kid scream bloody murder. Then once it was too late start screaming I'm sorry. It will be interesting to see what the grand jury decides. I myself can't figure out how I feel about it.

[sugarfree irony]

At about 1:37 in the video the driver says " you have one in the floor back there they pushed out " . To me it sounds like two kids picking on one kid . But the adults seem to only be concerned with moving one kid , Zachary . At 3:18 the driver says " the guy on the edge did not do it they pushed him in the floor . " The assistant replies " Yeah I know I asked him to move up front but ( garbled ) . " Driver : " Which one is it ? " Sounds like she says "Zack Plants " to me . My question is if they plural did the pushing why are the adults moving one child ? The tones that the driver and assistant use around 3:18 seem sympathetic to me . My opinion is they want him up front so they can look out for him , not to punish him . Of course I was not there I'm just going by the video .

The principal sounds frustrated when he first enters the bus . I do not like the way they removed him , the rolling him over . The kid looks small enough that if he wanted the principal could have just lifted him off his feet and carried him off the bus without exerting much more energy than he did in the rolling . I know there are ways of restraining people where the held person does not get hurt nor does the person doing the holding . I do not know if teachers are taught these holds ; maybe they should be .

[VAS1326]

At about 1:37 in the video the driver says " you have one in the floor back there they pushed out " . To me it sounds like two kids picking on one kid . But the adults seem to only be concerned with moving one kid , Zachary . At 3:18 the driver says " the guy on the edge did not do it they pushed him in the floor . " The assistant replies " Yeah I know I asked him to move up front but ( garbled ) . " Driver : " Which one is it ? " Sounds like she says "Zack Plants " to me . My question is if they plural did the pushing why are the adults moving one child ? The tones that the driver and assistant use around 3:18 seem sympathetic to me . My opinion is they want him up front so they can look out for him , not to punish him . Of course I was not there I'm just going by the video .

The principal sounds frustrated when he first enters the bus . I do not like the way they removed him , the rolling him over . The kid looks small enough that if he wanted the principal could have just lifted him off his feet and carried him off the bus without exerting much more energy than he did in the rolling . I know there are ways of restraining people where the held person does not get hurt nor does the person doing the holding . I do not know if teachers are taught these holds ; maybe they should be .

Yes initally the bus driver said "they" pushed him out of the seat. She said "they just pushed him out of the seat right there" and it sounds like the bus mom said "Hey Scott what is wrong" but I could have heard the name wrong. She then said "I can't hear you" a few seconds later she walked to the back of the bus and talked to the kids (we couldn't hear what she was saying but could see her on the camera's) When she came back the bus driver said "The guy that is on the edge didn't do it, they pushed him on the floor" The bus monitor said "yeah I know I just need him to move up front" and then the bus driver asked "which one was it" before she got out of her seat. The bus mom said Zach (I couldn't catch the last name) The bus driver then went to talk to him. To me is appears the bus driver was asking which kid did push the other kid out of his seat and went to go talk to the kid who "did it" which the bus monitor identified as Zach. The bus driver made it a point that it was known the kid on the edge was the one who was pushed.

So apparently after she talked to the students involved the bus monitor found that Zach did it. I think that is why they singled him out. I don't know if it's because the kid who got pushed said Zach did it or if he confessed or what. I'm guessing she asked the kid who got pushed out of his seat what happened since she said it loudly across the bus before she walked down to investigate.

In my kids school there wouldn't be a second chance. You put your hands on somebody you go home. I think this kid had plenty of second chances before the principle even arrived on scene. I don't know if he could have picked that kid up. My son is 8 and a lot smaller and I would have a damn hard time picking him up to carry him if he didn't want to be picked up and was flailing. Like I said before I'm still on the fence about how I feel about this video.

[sugarfree irony]

Is a tantrum like this normal for an 11 year old ? I know the article said he had behavior issues .

[AngelFire]

Is a tantrum like this normal for an 11 year old ? I know the article said he had behavior issues .

Mine were classic and they went on until about 12.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

The attorney for the Mason County school principal charged with felony child abuse says a report from the state Department of Health and Human Resources shows an incident with a student on a school bus last month does not rise to the criminal level.

That report came from investigators with the DHHR's Institutional Investigative Unit who looked at the March 21st incident when Principal Cameron Moffett forcibly removed an eleven year old special needs student from a bus prior to a field trip.

On the DHHR investigation, "He could not find child abuse. Per West Virginia code, child abuse was not identified. There was no child abuse," Attorney Jim Lees, who represents Moffett, said.

The DHHR investigator reportedly determined it would be a stretch to even charge Moffett with battery based on the facts of the case. Lees says it is the same argument he has been making.

He read from the report on Wednesday's MetroNews Talkline. "West Virginia code says an abused child means, and says as relevant to this case, 'a guardian or a custodian who knowingly or intentionally inflicts or attempts to inflict physical injury.'"

Lees says that was not the case with this incident. He says Moffett was trying to get control of a situation that involved a student who would not follow instructions to move.
[...]

Moffett is currently working within the Mason County school system, but not as the principal at Point Pleasant Intermediate School. He's been suspended from that position pending the outcome of the court case.

He is named in a civil rights lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on behalf of the student who was involved in the incident. The Mason County Board of Education was also named in that lawsuit.

http://www.wvmetronews.com/news.cfm?...&storyid=52354

[cubby]

I tried watching it and couldn't make much sense out of it, I can't really seem to be able to watch 3 screens at once.

At 11 I wuldn't say fit like that are normal but they can happen, in my opinion, he wasn't hurt, he was raging mad and frustrated that he wasn't getting what he wanted whatever it was, whether he was the bully or the bullied.

I don't think that the principal should have pick him up flailing around like he was, if he had lost control of him inside the bus, the boy could have really hurt himself falling across the back of the bus seats or down the steps or even if the principal had fallen with him and on top of him. I don't know what he could have done to get him off the bus easier, the boy wasn't cooperating and he had to get off the bus so the restof them could continue wiht the field trip.

If criminal charges are brought they will never get any other child to behave if they dont' won't to because the kids know the school officials can't make them and the school officials will be too scared to try.

I remember one bus driver I had as a kid in middle school, Bob Howard, he didn't allow ANY noise on his bus not even quiet talking. Living in a small town meant your folks knew about it before you got home, and you got it then. Bob was known for pulling the bus over on the side of the road and just waiting until the noise stopped and then just continuing on, but you knew your ass was grass when you got home.

Alot of kids just have no rules and don't respect places that have rules as a necessity for safety.

[Pene784]

I remember one bus driver I had as a kid in middle school, Bob Howard, he didn't allow ANY noise on his bus not even quiet talking. Living in a small town meant your folks knew about it before you got home, and you got it then. Bob was known for pulling the bus over on the side of the road and just waiting until the noise stopped and then just continuing on, but you knew your ass was grass when you got home.

When I was in middle school and lived in a small town in PA if you ticked off our bus driver he was known to pull over and put your ass out on the side of the road! He didn't even have a CB radio to let anyone know a kid was put off of the bus. You just walked. And we didn't live anywhere near the school either. I never had to walk thank the lord. I was the last stop and I would have had to walk for hours. Of course this is the same driver who liked to stop at the gas station and buy ciggs and beer while he still had a few kids on the bus near the end of the route. He didn't drink the beer while on the bus but he did smoke on the bus. He was nice enough to buy the few of us near the end of the route a soda on Fridays so we just kept our mouths shut. Times have changed!

[spinst]

Ah, these topics are near (and dear?) to my heart, as I am a teacher in a program specially designed for children with emotional and behavioral disabilities.

I feel for the principal - especially being in a situation like this far from school. Did he handle it correctly? Maybe not. If I had been in his shoes and deemed it necessary for the student's and others' safety that this child be moved, I would certainly not do it alone. I often have to do physical holds and/or escorts on students and I do not do them alone. Partly because I teach children who are the same size as me, and partly because when you have two adults the holds/escorts are much easier to do safely. Plus you have the added bonus of an additional adult witness in the event a child accuses you of excessive force.

The district I work for provides yearly de-escalation training as well as yearly physical hold/escort training that is required for ALL teaching and support staff that are likely to be involved with aggressive students. I wish they would include principals in this as well, as mine does end up jumping in and helping me sometimes when things get really out of control. I hope the principal in this story gets some sort of training as well.

"They're acting like this kid is a Special Olympics kid," Lees said, adding that children with behavioral problems are also referred to as special needs students.

This attorney needs to learn a little tact.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

A recent Mason County Grand Jury met on Monday and did not return an indictment for Point Pleasant Intermediate School Principal Cameron Moffett.

As of Wednesday, it remains uncertain whether or not Moffett’s case was presented to the grand jury, or if an indictment was simply not returned. Mason County Schools Superintendent Suzanne Dickens was also unable to provide any information regarding Moffett’s case being presented to the grand jury.

Several media outlets have reported on a report from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) and child protective services stating there was not sufficient evidence to convict Moffett of child abuse.
[...]

Soon after the incident, the DHHR began their investigation, and found that Moffett’s actions were not considered to be child abuse, and Plants tried to avoid Moffett and attempted to kick him.

Media outlets state that Plants was listening to an MP3 player on the bus, which he was permitted do so due to a medical condition. According to Plants’ description of the incident, he was asked to move by teacher, Elizabeth Kapp, and when he didn’t move, Kapp sent for Moffett. Plants said Moffett threw him off of the bus and proceeded to hold him down on the concrete, causing Plants to hit his head.

In addition to Kapp, teachers Annette Cook and Connie Burns also gave statements to the DHHR, in which all three said Plants exited the bus feet first and threw himself on the ground. Moffett then restrained Plants because Plants was hitting his fists and head on the sidewalk.

It was reported that Dickens discussed the incident with West Virginia Department of Education School Investigator John Morrison, and considered suspending Moffett without pay, but determined that Moffett was not at fault.

Media outlets also reported that Moffett’s attorney Jim Lees stated that in order to be charged with child abuse, there has to be intent to harm a child, and added that Moffett was attempting to resolve a situation on the bus.

http://www.mydailyregister.com/view/...ndictment-list