This is one of those stories that make me drop my jaw. Is this a script from Glee? No. It's my local news. Yes I live in Texas. I can hear the comments now...no one will be surprised that this happened in Texas. At any rate...
Here's what happened from what is known right now (it's a breaking story at this time, and I'm sure more info will come out as time passes). A freshman life skills student "volunteered" to be locked in a locker by two football players. I'm not sure what that means. (But I sure have some nasty opinions on that!) The athletic director had to let him out after an unannounced amount of time.
Are you ready for the punishment for the football players in Bridge City, Texas? Wait for it...wait for it...
"The principal said Coach Stump made them flip tires and stuff," stated a dissatisfied Nicole Smith, the president of the school's organization called
Meet in the Middle.
Wow. Tell me I'm not the only one appalled by this story. Tell me I'm not the only one who hopes this catches the attention of more than just my local news station.
FWIW, here's the news
link.
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Comments (21)
I'm going to be honest and admit to not knowing a thing about the reputation of the culture of Texas.
I've heard of stories from friends who were really short and skinny, where they would try and prove to their classmates that they could fit in a locker, and have someone try and fit them into one. There was no malice on the part of the others, although there were lots of incredulous responses after it was done. So I can see it being a possibility that the student actually DID volunteer to do something like that, just to prove it.
That being said, I don't think there's sufficient info regarding this to really conclude that the student was forced into a locker against his will as a part of some sort of bullying issue. Yeah, it sounds difficult to believe, but I have heard of it happening before, in a non-bullying sort of way, which is why I'm reserving my judgment on the matter.
I should also add that if this were done in malice, it shouldn't demand extra attention and horror just because the kid is special ed. Bullying is bullying, no?
This is disgraceful! At the very least, they should have been kick off the team for the school year & suspended. Doing that is cruel in general but to a special ed student? I doubt that student volunteered....
Sounds like the football team needs to undergo some (common) SENSE-itivity training. You can't plead innocence of taking advantage of a special ed student who volunteered to be locked in a locker. How about thinking, "Hey, maybe I should tell this kid that this is not a good idea." Or better yet, just don't agree to do it. Seems simple enough. Sounds like they got some kicks out of doing this to the unfortunate student. Makes me sick. :-/
@MyxlDove@xanga - That's exactly the way I see it, too. And that is best case scenario. The other options are even more malicious.
@QuantumStorm@xanga - To me, the purpose in getting attention is not in the pursuit of the attention itself, but in the pressure that comes with knowing your choices are *seen*. I don't feel that this is a harmless event, personally, and for the "punishment" to be a workout?
I hope public attention will cause administrators to rethink. And if nothing else, this small town high school might get a little awareness training out of it.
In my opinion, the possiblility of the boy volunteering to be put in the locker shouldn't factor into this equation at all. Bullying is bullying, and whether the football players want to admit it or not, they took advantage of this kid, and that kind of behavior falls under the category of bullying. Sounds to me like the coach is favoring his students because if severe action is taken, they could be kicked off the team or restricted from playing, right? I don't know how HS football works anymore since I graduated 7 years ago, but I'm pretty sure the season's not over.... Also, I think these students would benefit from some anti bullying training or something, and maybe a lesson in common sense.... Locking a student inside a locker is just plain stupid, even if it's done without malice. What if you can't get the door open after? Or worse, what if you're too afraid to admit to a faculty member that you did it and decide to just leave the kid there and deny involvement later?
@QuantumStorm@xanga - This. And people love to cry, 'oh the poor disabled kid'. It just pisses me off and makes me roll my eyes, effectively not accomplishing whatever it is whomever was trying to accomplish.
I'm under the impression this country used to have 'balls' and not turn every damn thing into a huge issue. I wonder when it got castrated. In the grand scheme of things, if a few hours shoved in a locker is the worst thing a person ever goes through, they're damn lucky.
@sarahsmurfette@xanga - The desire to fit in is not the same as being bullied or pressured by others to do certain things. That sort of thinking only invalidates any personal accountability a child in this situation can have. These aren't infants we're dealing with here.
I can understand the knee-jerk reaction that something isn't right here, but until we get more info I don't see what the fuss is about. In the end, a knee-jerk reaction is just that - a knee-jerk reaction. And people shouldn't assume either way until we get more info.
@VampireOfSeduction@xanga - Yeah, it's important to look out for others but then it gets to the point where we needlessly patronize and victimize entire demographics of kids, and that really needs to stop. That sort of behavior tends not to elevate the kids or empower them. It'll more than likely make them dependent on the system.
@QuantumStorm@xanga - I don't feel this is a knee-jerk reaction. I didn't write this on a whim, or on a moment's notice. I read everything that was available at the time, I bounced the idea off my husband. I discussed this on message boards. I feel like, if you don't stand up for those who may be perceived to be weaker...you're worthless yourself.
No, this was not an infant. But it is a child. A freshman. Not old enough to drive. Not old enough to have any rights, as a matter of fact. And beyond that, we know he is special ed - someone designated that, for whatever it is, he has difficulty learning or he was actually born with a disorder of some sort - he deserves someone to stand up for him.
It has nothing to do with system dependence, victimization, or personal accountability at large as a nation. I think we can treat each instance as individually as the people involved themselves. I am not painting it as some sort of epidemic.
@sarahsmurfette@xanga - "I feel like, if you don't stand up for those who may be perceived to be weaker...you're worthless yourself."
Acting on bad information can be worse than not acting at all. So far, there is insufficient information to indicate that the boy was bullied.
"No, this was not an infant. But it is a child. A freshman. Not old enough to drive. Not old enough to have any rights, as a matter of fact."
Lol, what, suddenly the boy has lost his inalienable rights, too? Rights don't necessarily dictate mental capacity. The right to drink alcohol at the age of 21 is not a guarantee that said 21-year old will act responsibly around the devil's sauce. Just because he is a freshman doesn't mean he has no will of his own.
"And beyond that, we know he is special ed - someone has designated that, for whatever it is, whether he has difficulty learning or was actually born with a disorder of some sort - he deserves someone to stand up for him."
But so far there isn't anything here that conclusively points to him being bullied. The fact is, you DON'T have to be bullied or threatened to do any of these things. And furthermore, are you suggesting that all kids designated as special ed are somehow so weak and bereft of willpower that they need YOUR patronizing to keep them strong? Go ahead and tell those special ed kids that. I'm sure they'll appreciate being characterized that way.
"I think we can treat each instance as individually as the people involved themselves. I am not painting it as some sort of epidemic. "
Sure, which means that if you want to treat this as an individual case, you have to stop assuming that all special ed kids are victims in such cases and treat this one as an INDIVIDUAL case first, BEFORE making any generalizations about the kid. Right?
@QuantumStorm@xanga - I disagree with you. I usually respect your position, but I feel you are too interested in being devil's advocate here. I simply disagree.
@sarahsmurfette@xanga - That's fine, but no one is playing devil's advocate here.
Gotta say, I'm with @QuantumStorm here. I was a boy a few years ago, and though at times I was bullied, I've willingly been on both sides of dumb tricks like that. If it was a dumb scheme hatched by three boys, one of whom happened to have a label, the punishment was about right. I mean, c'mon, I have two adopted special ed brothers who would have probably been on the other side of the scheme. If, on the other hand, they pushed the kid in the locker b/c they were strong and he was weak, they should get a somewhat stronger punishment. That said, a lot of young boys (and even some of the men I work with) could use a little "toughen up buttercup" these days. It'll be interesting to see how the story plays out. Remember boys and men and groups in general typically test the members, and teenage boys who are stuck together come up with dumb plans and the boy who is not willing to be the butt of some of those plans will never really be a part of the group. We all knew a kid who was willing to come up with risky plans but always wanted one of us to take the risks.
@VampireOfSeduction@xanga - I find myself agreeing with you quite a bit lately.
Which means you're a smart person.
Just thought you should know. :p
@QuantumStorm@xanga - Whatever happened to due process, ya know? We read something and based on how it's written, we're ready to condemn or acquit just that quickly. I bet I could write two posts for Datingish, telling two sides of the same event, and get the exact same people to lay blame on both parties, depending on which post they were reading.
In fact, that might be a fun challenge.
@QuantumStorm@xanga - I fully agree. I've found that many people will meet the expectations placed upon them, to an extent. If you continuously tell a child (or even an adult, I imagine) they are weak and cannot defend or stand up or think for themselves, even if you do so non-verbally, they will begin to be weak. "Learned helplessness" doesn't sound like quite the right name for it, but I can't think of a better one.
@Under_the_Ghillie@xanga - Thanks for the chuckle. I think it's more that I try to not use my head as an anal suppository, whereas many people make it a permanent fixture.
@VampireOfSeduction@xanga - Lmbo.
Cranial Colonoscopies will be covered by Obamacare, won't they? :P
..Why is this being discussed as if it were a debateable issue? I can see where some people are coming from, but those with common sense and compassion for all human beings would see that it is simply not nice for a group of people to stuff another person into a locker. And if the student is special ed and "volunteered" to do so, it is also not very nice to take advantage of that; they could have just refused to do so since, as mentioned earlier, it is not nice to stuff a person into a locker, and although I've never been put inside of a locker, I'm guessing it is not a fun experience for someone that has.
Also, I have absolutely no interest in online debate; if people still wish to take the side of the football players, then I have nothing more to say other than how sad it makes me that there are still people in the world that can think like that.
You said 'special ed' in the title, then refered to the student as 'life skills' later... which is it? did ya do that cuz no one knows what the hell a life skills student is, and won't get the feedbackpats you wanted? Cuz I know a lot of kids that need life skills, but aren't an r-bomb....
You know, last I heard, they put "life skills" people in the electric chair in Texas, right? Not just for shits and giggles, but if they do something bad enough, they get the same treatment as everyone else. Which is an interesting stance. if they don't wanna be treated special, as many of them will tell you, then why soften the laws for them? this seems like a big deal to everyone, and that is treating them special. thousands of kids, everyday, are jammed into lockers. but they aren't "life skills" students... so no one gives a rats ass... and the moral compass keeps on spinnin, spinnin....
Wow. I think some of the comments here are meaner than what happened to this student. It was undoubtedly a learning experience for all 3 of these kids involved, so at least they they got something out of it.