Mum slams school 'beating' of daughter
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BRUISED: The teenager claims her injuries were caused after being beaten by a school official.
Published On:Saturday, September 26, 2009
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net
AN outraged mother said she plans to press criminal charges against the public school official she claimed beat her daughter leaving her with several bruises.
Mother-of-two Clarinda Bastian said she was called to C I Gibson high school on Thursday morning by her 15-year-old daughter who said she had been hit on the neck, back, arm and buttocks by an administrator.
The teen claimed the school official beat her with a metal rod wrapped in black tape because she thought she was skipping class. But the girl said she had a good reason to be outside of the classroom claiming she was late arriving to her second period class because she had stayed behind to copy notes off the chalkboard. She said when she arrived at the physical education class a few minutes late, the school's gym was locked so she and a few other girls waited under a tree. At this point a school official walked up to the group, hit her, and demanded that she go to class.
The girl claims she then went to her homeroom teacher to get a pass when the same school official caught up with the girls again and asked them to run ahead to class. But the official thought the girl was being disobedient and began wielding blows at her.
"All the girls who was with me, they run ahead, I was the only one behind and she told me to walk up. I wasn't walking fast enough for her so she hit me all up in my back. And then I told her she hit me on the neck with the stick, she said 'Good, I should have hit you some place else," said the girl, who claimed she was hit more than five times.
The teenager has a large bruise on her left arm and right buttock and complains of pains in her neck and back. She told The Tribune she is afraid to return to school because she may be targeted by the official.
The school's principal, Ms Elaine Williams, told The Tribune it was not the official's intent to harm the child.
"Administrators are empowered to punish, of course it's always expected that you punish properly, but there was a whole situation with this child. She kept putting her hand in the way -- it was not a deliberate something on my administrator's part," she said.
Ms Williams said she had requested that Ms Bastian and her daughter come to her office yesterday so she could assess the extent of the child's injuries. However, she said, they never showed up.
When contacted for comment yesterday, Minister of Education Carl Bethel said he was aware of the incident. He explained that corporal punishment was a legal form of disciple in public schools "where warranted" but only when carried out by a senior mistress, senior master, principal or vice-principal.
He added that he expected a full report on the incident, as is required whenever corporal punishment is administered in the public school system.
"This matter is a matter of concern in any event because it involved the infliction of some kind of corporal punishment -- in this case there will be a full report. It will have to be reviewed by senior officials in the ministry (who will determine) whether the punishment was proportionate. At that point the ministry will make its evaluation of the matter," said Mr Bethel.
In the meantime, Ms Bastian said she is frustrated because she feels the school has not taken the incident seriously.
She has filed a complaint with police.
Reader Comments - 21 Total
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Posted By: Ketra On: 11/29/2009
Title: The right way of doing things! cont.
Simply look at this story as if this was your child. What if your child comes home with bruises like this child did? What if he/she told you that she was also beaten in the neck and back? Now, look at the long term complications that could have resulted from the beating in the neck and back. There were times in school when I did not get to finish taking down my notes off the chalkboard and there were times i was late for class. The proper thing to do would have been to take the child to the senior mistress/master and have them deal with the situation. Ms. Cleo I am sure you do not want anyone to call your child slow for something like that. Did you always finish your work on time in school? Ms. Louima, no matter what was going on in that school, there are certain ways you go about things. Would you like for someone to hit you in the back and neck with a rod? Yes, this girl may have done something to provoke this and she may have been down right rude, but there are cetain ways that we go about punishing children. When you were a child and you got punished, did they ever inflict you with bruises and were you ever hit in the back or neck? Let us be civilized in the way we do things, especially when we are in authority, because children re-enact what they see. I am an educator, but most of all I am a mother also. I treat my students the way I want someone to treat my child.
Posted By: Ketra On: 11/29/2009
Title: The right way of dong things!`
There is more to this story than what is being told, but there is no way a child should be beaten to the extent that this child was. I was beaten as a young child, but I was never left with bruises and I was definitely not beaten in the neck and back. This child could suffer serious problems by being beaten in those places to the extent that bruises were formed. Yes, she was very rude and needed to be disciplined, but a beating on the buttocks or in the palm of her hand was more than appropriate in this matter. Most of those whose comments approved of this is looking at this in the wrong view. I have a child and if he did something wrong, yes i would agree for him to get a beating, but not to leave marks on my child and definitely not to beat him in the neck or back where his spine is located.
Posted By: Donna On: 11/26/2009
Title: Corporal punishment????
Ok ..wasnt corporal punishment during slavery times? Why would the schools want to continue with that kind of punishment in thinking thats going to straighten a kid out even when they do wrong? That is just promoting another generation of violence. No one should hit/ strike anyone.
Posted By: Alice B. On: 11/25/2009
Title: Mum slams "beating"
While corporal punishment was administered in my day whih was manyyears ago, I don't ever remember it leaving bruises on children. I think the frustration of educators today give rise to them being overzealous and this should be watched closely. Some of these people have their own issues going on at home and should not even be in the classroom. What instrument are they using to inflict th epunishment. I understand that two weeks ago a child was beaten with PXC pipe. This needs to be looked into before we start another type of problem. What if the teacher does not like the child? We need to be very careful when we give educators permission to administer corporal punishment. With what is going on in the country, it would seem that this needed but teachers today are not what they used to be.
Posted By: B.J. Brice On: 11/16/2009
Title: High school beating
There is a right way & a wrong way to do things. This right here in my opinion is wrong. The administrator should have taken the young lady to the Principal's office to address the matter. Ministry of Education needs to evaluate the administrator & the Principal because she appears to be full of it. Never mind how the young lady reacted to the administrator, it was not her place. May this be a lesson for the Ministry of Education to push for effective disciplinary actions.
Posted By: Truth On: 11/12/2009
Title: children
Natasha, 9/27, what humane ways can you discipline a rude child?? I'd really like to know! the only thing that can get rude kids in order (and still sometimes it does not work; i have a younger cousin who became extremly rude to her mother, cussing, ducking school, a total brat, the police had to beat her bcz her mother was at her wit's end, she's still to this day doing drugs, stealing out stores, e.t.c.) is the fear of a belt. it's def worth a try and should be done. these kids don't care about "words". they need physical and emotional punishment. but i can't comment on this story bcz you really don't know the truth. both the child and the teacher have conflicting stories. any of them could be true.
Posted By: vernita On: 11/11/2009
Title: student beating
It is alsways good to remember in every story there are three(3) sides - the stdent, the teacher and the truth. This girl sounds as if she was being all out rebellious, who is she so that her peers ran ahead to show respect to an adult and she just dragged along with a" don't rush me attitude ". Parents are to stop and check themselves at the door and realize that the chip never falls far from the block and children learn what they live. We as parents need to " seek he first the kingdom of GOD and all his righteousness and all other things (including discipled, respectful kids) will be added unto us. "
Posted By: Farrington On: 11/2/2009
Title: parent
If we had corporal punishment in the school system in the states the teachers would not fear for their lives everyday... she should have had her hip in the right place ...
Posted By: Tina On: 10/25/2009
Title: Respect the rights of others
Cleo, there is a difference between abuse and discipline. Adults too often in the attempt to discipline cross the line and affect a child's self esteem by administering abuse. The violence we see in our wider society is related to the fact that we do not respect the RIGHTS of individual. Those individuals include children and as you infer, special people. Discipline through the proper format and respect will go a long way in making our society better. Change does not have to be brought about using a fist or strong arm. Let us learn to respect one another and resolve issues the right way. We are suppose to be a civilized people you know.......not animals.
Posted By: Kaylesa 8 BGCSE in 2009 On: 10/21/2009
Title: WRONGED ADMINISTRATOR WRONG STUDENT
It is now the governments responsibility to make this matter right. As i have just graduated from a government school within this year I'm aware of the manner in which punishment is handled. It is evident that if Ms. Williams collegue goes unpunished or isn't baffled into a public appology for the abuse that she has done to this childs it will encourage teachers to reference this incident; a a scare tactict to these childre. ALTHOUGH I'M CERTAIN that is not how the story completely panned out there is no way that the principle can justify a CHILD being hit in her butoocks NECK & ARM while trying to block using her arms My guess is that the professional was aiming for the childs head! IT IS RIGHT THAT THE MOTHER CAME FORTH & decided to press criminal charges but if her aim is to receive money from the treasury she should stop now!
Posted By: Ms.Laverne On: 9/29/2009
Title: School Beating
Beating of this nature is definately wrong!! However, it appears that this student may have said or did something that the teacher just simply got annoyed at. "....She was standing under a tree with her friends.....". Little girl your hip should have been in class. Don't tell me her mother don't know she has a problem with authority. Absolutely no respect if she was cutting class and that is what it was! This is the same thing. These parents!! who don't train their kids at home but throw them to the teachers to grow up. Right now she may have irritated those bruises more to show like that. Her and her mother is looking at $$$$ signs and us tax payers will have to pay for it if the ministry decide to pay off. Well, i always say easy come, easy go. The money will dissapear faster than it came!
Posted By: mickey On: 9/29/2009
Title:
I have six children and I am old school we know what we got from our parents and our friends parent and it wasnt child abuse then do something wrong and the police can beat a child so why cant a teacher or parent
Posted By: Jaycee On: 9/29/2009
Title: Its Been Happening Long time
Ah, how interesting it is to see stories like this pop up as if it was a NEW amazing and disturbing thing that the Bahamian public and media have just discovered. I graduated from a government school about four years ago, and I can truly attest to the fact that Child Abuse is the order of the day in these institutions. If there wasn't a senior administrator bringing wrath to a young student through their "tapped up steel sticks" and causing bruises and swelling, there was some teacher picking some kid out in front of the entire class calling him/her "stupid", "pathetic", or "*** hole". Have you ever had a teacher call you a "SAVAGE"....yes, thats right, a savage, an uncivilised human being. Parents, you have no idea what is going on in the government school, and you sit there wondering what the OTHER reason is for your child's poor grades. The Ministry of Education need to evaluate themselves instead of their mold problem and weed out these bad apples. And Ms. Williams is simply making excuses for her colleague, she knows what happened is wrong.
Posted By: cleo On: 9/28/2009
Title: mum slams beatin of daughter
U r uncomfortable with the school u have a choice to remove your daughter from the school. Your daughter seem 2 b the problem everyone else ran ahead but she refuse to move. Unless she has a handicap why can she not kep up this the others students. She can not get her notes down in time and she can not keep up when she was told to run ahead.She may need to go to a special school.
Posted By: Natasha On: 9/28/2009
Title: Discipline vs. Abuse
I think it is good to discipline our kids in school, but there is a big difference between disciplining a child and abusing him/her. When I was in school, the teacher used to send the students to the Senior Master/Mistress to render punishment, and I think that's how it should still be. The adminstrator mentioned in this report, in my opinion, abused that student. No one should be hit in their face, head, neck, or back, as this can lead to brain or spinal injuries. And using a metal rod at that!!!! She should be made to face the consequences of her actions. I don't think she should face any criminal charges, but let the school deal with her punishment.
Posted By: generalcrazy On: 9/28/2009
Title: Criminal Teacher
lock up that teacher, that is child abuse and criminal.
Posted By: Lovence Louima On: 9/27/2009
Title: Punishment is the only way to stop the madness in the public schools...
I know the school officials in the mentioned school and I am certain that if the child was punished it was with good reasons. During the past days at that school numerous weapons have been found and I think with these Children this is the only way the message is going to get out to them that they come to school to learn not to endanger other life's. I think there should be no question about the way the administrator punished the child due to the outraged that was happening in that school.
Posted By: NATASHA On: 9/27/2009
Title: INHUMANE TREATMENT
There is simply no reason why anyone should be allowed to spank or physically touch a child as a form of 'punishment'. There are more humane ways of disciplining a child and Corporeal Punishmnet in Bahamas Schools NEEDS TO BE OUTLAWED . Clearly, there has been a abuse of power here in this situation and is clearly "abuse in its severe form". Any type of brusing is 'abusive'. The parent should sue the Bahamas Goverment and the School as well as the Minister. This should not be allowed to happen to any other child in the school system.
Posted By: Veve On: 9/26/2009
Title: Appropriate Punishment
While I agree that certain punishment is necessary for disobedience, the school official is clearly out of line, if the injuries are as stated. Hitting someone on the NECK can result in serious long-term complications, specifically as they relate to neurological damage, symptoms of which may take YEARS to show up. Educators are frustrated and fed-up with their working conditions, but must be mindful of their actions at all times. Who knows what personal issue this offical may have been going through to cause her to vent her anger in such a manner. I remember being disciplined as a child in school, but I can surely say that I was never left with any bruises, whatsoever. There needs to be a stipulation as to the type of material used to spank children as well!!!
Posted By: KidsRpeople2 On: 9/26/2009
Title: School Beating
Research indicates that spanking lowers a child's IQ. Physical/Corporal Punishment of Children in SCHOOLS is ILLEGAL in 30 STATES, as it is a SERIOUS HEALTH AND SAFETY concern. SHOCKINGLY, Physical/Corporal punishment of children in schools is still practiced in the remaining 20 states, a BLATANT CHILDREN'S CIVIL/HUMAN RIGHTS INEQUALITY! Over 100 nations have banned corporal punishment in schools and it's harmful effects on children are coming to light WORLDWIDE. Over 50 National U.S. Children's Health and Education organizations have issued position statements OPPOSED to Corporal Punishment of Children in Schools. U.S. Congress is holding hearings on Abusive and DEADLY practices in SCHOOLS and MUST ABOLISH Physical/Corporal Punishment of ALL Children in ALL states. The cost is $0.
Posted By: Patricia On: 9/26/2009
Title: Beating of Student
I am certain there is more to this story, but what is disturbing is that the child was beaten in this manner. That is nothing short of child abuse. While I agree that we have a serious problem with some our young people, there has to be a better way of administering punishment. The parents should leave no stone unturned in getting to the bottom of this.
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