Father boards school bus to confront bullies picking on his special needs daughter

[Paulie]

No, what it is is that I look at more than just this one case. Sure in this case it worked out. but what if the NEXT time some father does this, someone ends up dead? We as a society don't condone vigilantism for a reason Paulie. This wasn't about justice, this was about dad got mad and vented. If it were about justice and safety for his child he wold have followed procedure. So while as a parent I certainly understand the anger, that in noway condones the action.

Surely we agree that no one ever needs to die over something like this? Certainly we can agree that given the number of total whack jobs out there that sooner or later some moron would take exception to his child being accosted by the parent of a child his little angel accosted and would react badly?

That must MUST be prevented at all cost, and is why we have laws and such.

I see your point.

But if another father goes onto a school bus and sprays the kids down with a machine gun, it isn't going to be because some kind of precedent was set in THIS case.

The dude's gonna do it regardless of "school rules" or whatever.

That's a pretty broad analogy to use.

Maybe we need Bus Marshalls now too.

I know you're being facetious there Paulie, but there is some truth to that. Driving a school bus in traffic today is hard enough, let alone watching over 40 + kids while doing so. I wish that it was in the budget to provide for a second adult to be on the bus who's sole job it was monitor the children so the driver could concentrate on driving. Or that parents or teachers would volunteer to take turns doing so. You know what though, I bet that THIS father would be one of the last ones to volunteer. That is sadly how it usually works.

I am a big fan of doing things technologically. I am working on a system to implement at my school where all the buses are equipped with internet video cameras which can transmit live video back to the school where it can be monitored in real time by a school employee who is trained in such situations and who has the authority to take action when needed. It's pretty expensive since all buses will have to be equipped with the internet and such, and we would have to hire the person who is going to do the monitoring job, but a school has to do what it has to do to protect the kids.

You could do that with a simple web cam and a free Justin.TV channel.

We're going to do it with our pre-school we just opened.

 

[Paulie]

Actually, I guess you would need the computer with wireless internet access to go with the cams.

A little waste cut from the budget would easily pay for it though.

 

[Jack Fate]

Good for this father. It's way past time for all parents to take back the authority that is rightfully theirs. Tell these liberal educated dummies that we are in charge to do their job or we will find some others who will. Get rid of these damn unions.

 

[Blagger]

Apologies for dragging this thread back to the beginning, but I have to say that this mans actions serve as an example to us all.

I'd even hazard a guess that his stance would extend to addressing his own childrens behaviour if they were the one's bullying a child who suffers from a serious disability. But I may be wrong.

No, this man is in my opinion an inspiration. He should be applauded, not admonished.

 

[Paulie]

He's a hit on facebook.

That means you win the internets.

 

[Dick Tuck]

I have an autistic son. He was being hassled on the bus, and I let the school know it was pissing me off. It did nothing. One day his sister, who was just two years older and 6 inches shorter than him, put on her karate brown belt uniform, and told the kids that were hassling him that if they didn't chill she would kick their ass. Problem solved.

 

[ConHog]

I see your point.

But if another father goes onto a school bus and sprays the kids down with a machine gun, it isn't going to be because some kind of precedent was set in THIS case.

The dude's gonna do it regardless of "school rules" or whatever.

That's a pretty broad analogy to use.

Maybe we need Bus Marshalls now too.

I know you're being facetious there Paulie, but there is some truth to that. Driving a school bus in traffic today is hard enough, let alone watching over 40 + kids while doing so. I wish that it was in the budget to provide for a second adult to be on the bus who's sole job it was monitor the children so the driver could concentrate on driving. Or that parents or teachers would volunteer to take turns doing so. You know what though, I bet that THIS father would be one of the last ones to volunteer. That is sadly how it usually works.

I am a big fan of doing things technologically. I am working on a system to implement at my school where all the buses are equipped with internet video cameras which can transmit live video back to the school where it can be monitored in real time by a school employee who is trained in such situations and who has the authority to take action when needed. It's pretty expensive since all buses will have to be equipped with the internet and such, and we would have to hire the person who is going to do the monitoring job, but a school has to do what it has to do to protect the kids.

You could do that with a simple web cam and a free Justin.TV channel.

We're going to do it with our pre-school we just opened.

Sure, but the buses have to have internet. That isn't cheap. Forty bucks a month per bus is the best price I've found.

And as far as justin.tv channel, or whatever? I don't get that. If you sign up for a ReAL service, which as a school we would because they provide security in such which is a must for schools to consider, they give you an actual website and such. And of course we would have to have a server at the school to record everything digitally, yes right now our buses use cameras which actually use tape.

It's not as simple or cheap as one would think, but we'll have the system in place by the beginning of school next year one way or the other.

 

[Paulie]

I know you're being facetious there Paulie, but there is some truth to that. Driving a school bus in traffic today is hard enough, let alone watching over 40 + kids while doing so. I wish that it was in the budget to provide for a second adult to be on the bus who's sole job it was monitor the children so the driver could concentrate on driving. Or that parents or teachers would volunteer to take turns doing so. You know what though, I bet that THIS father would be one of the last ones to volunteer. That is sadly how it usually works.

I am a big fan of doing things technologically. I am working on a system to implement at my school where all the buses are equipped with internet video cameras which can transmit live video back to the school where it can be monitored in real time by a school employee who is trained in such situations and who has the authority to take action when needed. It's pretty expensive since all buses will have to be equipped with the internet and such, and we would have to hire the person who is going to do the monitoring job, but a school has to do what it has to do to protect the kids.

You could do that with a simple web cam and a free Justin.TV channel.

We're going to do it with our pre-school we just opened.

Sure, but the buses have to have internet. That isn't cheap. Forty bucks a month per bus is the best price I've found.

And as far as justin.tv channel, or whatever? I don't get that. If you sign up for a ReAL service, which as a school we would because they provide security in such which is a must for schools to consider, they give you an actual website and such. And of course we would have to have a server at the school to record everything digitally, yes right now our buses use cameras which actually use tape.

It's not as simple or cheap as one would think, but we'll have the system in place by the beginning of school next year one way or the other.

I was just using it as an example. You can make your justin channel private for only those you want viewing it. Maybe for a school district it's not good enough, but it can work well for smaller uses.

Still though. There's PLENTY of waste in school budgets that can be cleared for something as important as this.

My district just cut funding last year and had to go with a completely new busing company.

I guess it would work differently if the busing is done through a 3rd party and the school doesn't own the buses.

 

[chanel]

My kids' elementary school had "prayer partners" where the older kids were paired with the younger ones at church and they were asked "to look out for them" It's a great program. I have personally asked nice kids to sit with a lonely kid at lunch. They always oblige. I can't understand why a teacher would not ask some leaders to look out for this poor girl. Kids will step up when given a worthwhile task.

 

[ConHog]

You could do that with a simple web cam and a free Justin.TV channel.

We're going to do it with our pre-school we just opened.

Sure, but the buses have to have internet. That isn't cheap. Forty bucks a month per bus is the best price I've found.

And as far as justin.tv channel, or whatever? I don't get that. If you sign up for a ReAL service, which as a school we would because they provide security in such which is a must for schools to consider, they give you an actual website and such. And of course we would have to have a server at the school to record everything digitally, yes right now our buses use cameras which actually use tape.

It's not as simple or cheap as one would think, but we'll have the system in place by the beginning of school next year one way or the other.

I was just using it as an example. You can make your justin channel private for only those you want viewing it. Maybe for a school district it's not good enough, but it can work well for smaller uses.

Still though. There's PLENTY of waste in school budgets that can be cleared for something as important as this.

My district just cut funding last year and had to go with a completely new busing company.

I guess it would work differently if the busing is done through a 3rd party and the school doesn't own the buses.

we own our own buses. Believe me, I know ALL about cutting costs in a school district. But that's tough to do when you only have so much money to go around. One of the major problems is that EVERYONE thinks THEIR pet project is of the utmost concern. It would be great to have a bottomless checkbook and just give everyone everything they want, but unless your name is Uncle Sam, that isn't reality. I checked China isn't interested in buying bonds from my school district.

 

[bodecea]

Solve the problem like school districts around here have. No buses.

 

[AllieBaba]

It's not bullying to DEFEND A CHILD from harassment and assault. Why is that so hard to grasp?

The whole concept of waiting, letting the little girl continue to be harrangued, humiliated and manhandled, is not acceptable. It isn't bullying to stick up for your kid if your kid is being bullied, and it ISN'T bullying. It's called defense, and it's legal and perfectly acceptable.

BUZZZZ. Wrong, A) it is illegal to board a school bus B) It is illegal for an adult to threaten children (and let's stop playing gmaes, that dad threatened the kids who were harassing his kid) C) It IS bullying when you take advantage of being bigger and stronger than someone in an attempt to get your own way, which is EXACTLY what this father did.

The proper procedure is to take it to the school. If you feel your child is in immediate danger, you of course have the right, and in fact I would say the obligation, to remove your child from the setting. you do NOT have the right to threaten people who you feel have done wrong.

I'll add another thing here, by accosting these children the way he did, this father took away their right of due process. He just got in their face and started yelling at EVERYONE. It wasn't until later that he seen any video evidence of who was actually involved.

I understand the idea that it sounds good to say i confronted the bullies who were picking on my child; but his actions were wrong on SO many levels that I quite literally can't believe that anyone would really defend him.

Now if you want to discuss should he be punished, I don't think he should be, but he should be damn well told that if a situation arises like that again and he responds the same way his ass will be standing trial.

Lots of people are defending him, including EZ. You are completely ass backwards on this, as you are on so many things.

I supposed you'd cry foul if he'd boarded the bus to save his child from choking as well. Perhaps in that instance, he should wait until the worthless driver calls 911 and "the authorities" arrive.

He had a right to defend his child. Perhaps he didn't do it perfectly, who knows. But the driver sure as shit wasn't doing it, and I'd like to see ANYONE keep me from boarding a bus to protect my kid. She needed protecting, he got it done. The only people at fault here are the asswad children and the piece of shit bus driver. The kids got what they deserved and hopefully will take that lesson home. If they were on that bus and that shit was going on and they did nothing to stop it, they're just as guilty as the rest, the little shits.

 

[Ravi]

Did any of you read this part of the article?

School spokeswoman Regina Murray Klaers said in an e-mail that Jones did not express his concerns to school administrators. The incident that apparently upset Jones involved another girl, not his daughter, Klaers said. That incident was fully investigated, and appropriate action was taken, Klaers said.

 

[Sarah G]

Solve the problem like school districts around here have. No buses.

Stuff is always happening on the busses but then some kids just won't have a ride in bad weather, etc..

Perhaps a bouncer..

 

[bodecea]

Solve the problem like school districts around here have. No buses.

Stuff is always happening on the busses but then some kids just won't have a ride in bad weather, etc..

Perhaps a bouncer..

Well, we don't have much bad weather here...but the school district can't afford busses...so the kids get rides or else walk.

 

[ConHog]

Solve the problem like school districts around here have. No buses.

Some of our kids live 50 miles from school. Not really an option to get rid of the buses.

 

[ConHog]

It's not bullying to DEFEND A CHILD from harassment and assault. Why is that so hard to grasp?

The whole concept of waiting, letting the little girl continue to be harrangued, humiliated and manhandled, is not acceptable. It isn't bullying to stick up for your kid if your kid is being bullied, and it ISN'T bullying. It's called defense, and it's legal and perfectly acceptable.

BUZZZZ. Wrong, A) it is illegal to board a school bus B) It is illegal for an adult to threaten children (and let's stop playing gmaes, that dad threatened the kids who were harassing his kid) C) It IS bullying when you take advantage of being bigger and stronger than someone in an attempt to get your own way, which is EXACTLY what this father did.

The proper procedure is to take it to the school. If you feel your child is in immediate danger, you of course have the right, and in fact I would say the obligation, to remove your child from the setting. you do NOT have the right to threaten people who you feel have done wrong.

I'll add another thing here, by accosting these children the way he did, this father took away their right of due process. He just got in their face and started yelling at EVERYONE. It wasn't until later that he seen any video evidence of who was actually involved.

I understand the idea that it sounds good to say i confronted the bullies who were picking on my child; but his actions were wrong on SO many levels that I quite literally can't believe that anyone would really defend him.

Now if you want to discuss should he be punished, I don't think he should be, but he should be damn well told that if a situation arises like that again and he responds the same way his ass will be standing trial.

Lots of people are defending him, including EZ. You are completely ass backwards on this, as you are on so many things.

I supposed you'd cry foul if he'd boarded the bus to save his child from choking as well. Perhaps in that instance, he should wait until the worthless driver calls 911 and "the authorities" arrive.

He had a right to defend his child. Perhaps he didn't do it perfectly, who knows. But the driver sure as shit wasn't doing it, and I'd like to see ANYONE keep me from boarding a bus to protect my kid. She needed protecting, he got it done. The only people at fault here are the asswad children and the piece of shit bus driver. The kids got what they deserved and hopefully will take that lesson home. If they were on that bus and that shit was going on and they did nothing to stop it, they're just as guilty as the rest, the little shits.

Do you truly not understand the difference between intervening to save someone and taking action AFTER the fact?

Example: If I'm walking down the street and I see you being beat up by a man, I have a moral obligation to step in and stop that, well at least I think I do. However if after the fact you happen to see me at a bar and mention to me that some guy beat you up, the situation changes and now my obligation is not to protect you but to help you get justice. Not revenge, justice.

And why you would POSSIBLY condone an adult threatening children as an appropriate response to ANYTHING is beyond me.

 

[topspin]

the boy's above 12 on that bus are guilty in my book. I taught my sons to step up and defend the weak from the bully. Doesn't matter if you can whip the bully, the bully isn't looking for a fight but picking on those who won't fight back.

 

[ConHog]

the boy's above 12 on that bus are guilty in my book. I taught my sons to step up and defend the weak from the bully. Doesn't matter if you can whip the bully, the bully isn't looking for a fight but picking on those who won't fight back.

Not a single person here has said the kids on the bus weren't guilty of harassing the poor girl.

 

[topspin]

My kids would have stopped it.