Teacher disciplined for fake gun incident

In December a teacher at Chester County High School in Tennessee pointed an obvious foam gun at students in a demonstration. The foam gun had no moving parts and was brightly painted. It was impossible to mistake for a real gun.

The fake “gun” in question is allegedly made of a brightly colored foam material with no moving parts or trigger. Pipkin said that while it has the shape of a gun, the classroom tool could not be mistaken for a real gun.

The teacher was placed on administrative leave and has returned to her class. A group of parents are insisting on the teacher's firing and brought up on charges. The student who made the original complaint refused to speak with the school or police to file an official report but her parents have gotten an attorney.
I would say that things have really gotten out of hand on the gun issue.
www.chestercountyindependent.com...

reply to post by Christian Voice


I didn't think about it when I posted it but the Chester County Independent is a paid site. It is free to access for subscribers of the paper but you must pay if not subscribed to the paper. I will see if Jackson has an article about it. Until I do here is the entire article:

On Dec. 18, 2013, just days before Christmas break began, Chester County High School mathematics teacher Claire Wilder was placed on administrative leave for allegedly pointing a fake gun at students in her class. Wilder, a tenured teacher at CCHS, was alleged to be guiding students in a review session prior to mid-term exams when she stepped into the hall and returned with a fake gun used by the criminal justice teach-er for class projects involving crime scene investigation and processing evidence.
A student alleged that Wilder pointed the brightly colored prop at her in a threatening manner. An investigation of the incident followed, and Superintendent Cherrie Pipkin stated that all aspects of the situation were evaluated – including interviewing the students who were in the classroom and the criminal justice teacher who had been in possession of the fake gun at the time of the incident. Wilder’s mannerisms were investigated for maliciousness and harmful intent.
Pipkin added that the student who accused Wilder was unavailable to be interviewed after the incident. A letter placed in her personnel file states that Wilder has demonstrated high achievement in her classroom teaching and her students have been successful in their mathematical performance. The letter goes on to state, “However, the incident that occurred in December involving your use of the criminal justice fake gun targeted toward your class in a joking manner was an inappropriate action. In today’s world, the implied use of any kind of gun, real or not, is considered a threat or intent to do harm. Hopefully, you have learned a valuable lesson from this incident and actions such as this will not happen again.”
According to Pipkin, the incident was handled in accordance with board policy. The evidence gathered did not appear to support a malicious intent, and as a tenured teacher, Wilder was reprimanded and disciplined in the manner already established. She added that students who acted in such a manner would be investigated and disciplined in a similar fashion.
The fake “gun” in question is allegedly made of a brightly colored foam material with no moving parts or trigger. Pipkin said that while it has the shape of a gun, the classroom tool could not be mistaken for a real gun.
Wilder, who has been employed by the Chester County School System since 2008, returned to her classroom this month.

Here is a link for the article in the Jackson Sun
www.wbbjtv.com...
Here the mother is speaking about it. She claims she is filing for an order of protection against the teacher. I was present at a meeting about this and none of the other students heard the teacher say she wished the gun was real. None of the other students questioned claimed to have felt unsafe or threatened by the teacher and that it was explained to them in advance of what the teacher was doing. The daughter and mother refused to speak with the school or police so I'm trying to figure how she plans on getting an order of protection. The police officers that questioned the students claim the students all told them the girl has emotional problems.

If there's money involved then don't be surprised. Only and absolute idiot would sue somebody for using a foam toy.

Some people are just horrendously stupid and the establishment is catered towards these people (the one's that don't ask questions or say anything out of line) so their idiocy is pandered to. If I was a defense lawyer I'd laugh in her face and tell her to grow up. If I was the judge I'd throw my (weapon looking) Gavel at her head. It seems our tolerance for ridiculous people has cost us dearly.

It probably wont go anywhere, hopefully,but if it does was a condemnation of common sense and reason. Some things are so ridiculously idiotic it makes me blood boil, things like this are one.

This kind of sums up everything "In today’s world, the implied use of any kind of gun, real or not, is considered a threat", what an absolutely absurd thing to say. ABSURD ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH *Head explodes*

reply to post by Christian Voice


All I can say about this is "NUTS!" People are losing their sense of logic. Maybe it's the water they're drinking.

reply to post by WeRpeons


I would say that we have a generation of people who refuse to be parents to their children. Then when their children go astray they point the finger of blame at the schools for their children's shortcomings.

In theory, I disagree 100%, however, if the "no-tolerance" laws apply to kids wearing t-shirts, how could this be justified?
Let this teacher live by the same rules she enforces.

reply to post by Oaktree


Teachers and students are not governed by the same rules, nor should they. Can a 16 yr old legally drink ? Can a 13 yr old vote ? No because there are rules in place. The teacher was doing a demonstration and did nothing wrong. I will agree though that some rules for students are getting just rather ridiculous.

reply to post by Christian Voice


IMO double standards have no place in the classroom. If a student can be nailed to the cross for a Pop-Tart gun, or going 'Pew-Pew' with his hand in the shape of a gun, or even just wearing a t-shirt with a gun on it then they are equally just as dangerous as a teacher with an orange foam gun.

Christian Voice
reply to post by Oaktree

 

Teachers and students are not governed by the same rules, nor should they. Can a 16 yr old legally drink ? Can a 13 yr old vote ? No because there are rules in place. The teacher was doing a demonstration and did nothing wrong. I will agree though that some rules for students are getting just rather ridiculous.

I disagree with your examples, voting does not occur on school grounds during class, and it makes no difference what the drinking age is, because neither teacher nor student may possess or be under the influence during class hours.

In most states, it is legal to possess certain firearms (long guns, mainly) however that doesn't give a student of legal age the right to carry on school grounds any more than it gives a teacher that right.

reply to post by Oaktree


You missed the fact that it was a brightly painted foam gun with no moving parts that belonged to the school for it's Criminal Justice Class. It was not a real gun nor could it be mistaken for a real gun and it was a teaching aid or prop.
Give me a break.

Sorry to sound pessimistic here. But I've seen similar bs go down before between schools and parents. My personal theory. Just my personal theory. Prissy spoiled brat kid goes home after school hates math class and the teacher. Talks all animatedly about the "incident". With the teacher at school that day at the dinner table. Douche bag parents go " oh no! Not our little precious! We're calling the school right now!" Kid fake cries in daddy arms going " it ... Sniff... Sniff... Was... Sniff.... So horrible!"

And shiznit gets blown out of control. Is this the serious stupidity that our population is dumbing down to??? Is there some time rift that happened where I went from a sane world to this pathetic excuse for civilization and faux culture.