Violent child allowed back in after school program?

Question

I work at an elementary school and there's this mom that we all swear is crazy. Anyways back to the main question. So last year around May this kid (then a 3rd grader) stabs another child in the arm with a pencil (nothing majorly serious, but enough to break the skin) so he gets kicked out of the after school program (KLAS), this kid has adhd alright fine the mom doesn't want to put him on meds we can't really do anything about that, so this school year she brings in a lawyer to the district office and needless to say her child gets put back into the program, BUT under the lawyer's conditions that he cannot be desaplined(sp) by KLAS staff only his "special" 1 on 1 aide who was fired from the school because she never watched the kids and let them get away with murder basically, because of this parent all 10 schools in the district are desolving the program now after this school year because they don't want to have to deal with any other parent trying to get their child back into the program if they where kicked out. This is putting 100 potential kids in harms way because this child was let back in to the program because aparently the lawyer had a case saying they where segregating the little boy because he has ADHD and he was a certain race while 85% of the kids at the school are that race too, and on top of that the mother, father and the 3 kids area all here illegally. (this is a pretty poor school most kid's parents aren't citizens and need this program so their kids get after school help on their homework that they need since about 70% of the parent's can't speak English let alone read it) So far this lady was able to get a teacher request for her daughter (district doesn't allow this) had her special needs child (1st grader with a 2 year old IQ) leave special ed. and into a main stream classroom, and the whole story up there about her eldest child back into a program where he shouldn't be allowed into because of stabbing a kid. You guys as parents what would you recommend for this school to do? We already told most of the parents that if this kid would do anything to their child not to go to the principal to complain about it, but to go straight to the police for assault. It's a little harsh I know, but this child was suspended 5 times last year once for the pencil incident, once for calling another child the "N" word, once for breaking the bathroom mirrors, and twice for slapping someone. He's a 4th grader and because this parent's lawyer the school's hands are tied because the lawyer for the district says if they fight it they'll lose. Any ideas on how to somehow get around this situation, one mom already went to the media (local spanish station) but it didn't get a lot of pull because the mom of the violent child already went to the same station during the summer saying the school was being judgmental on her child and he wasn't getting the attention he deserves because he's ADHD, she basically wants a private school if not home school education for her child and demands the teacher give her son 4 hours of one on one time but it's a private school. Come on now!!! So what would you guys do? No teacher or aide will speak out against this because of fear of getting fired and most parents won't say anything because they're scared if they stir something up they'll get deported.

Answer 1

The situation has been completely created by the legal and political situation.  If schools were run by educators instead of politicians we'd be fine.  

Yes, they do have to admit everyone, no they can't exclude or even reasonably punish a child who has a special needs designation (ODD, ADHD etc.)  This is madness and creates many crazy and dangerous situations.  It could also happen in a very middle class school.  

When they first said special needs children had to be allowed in schools they meant children in wheelchairs etc.  Now it means children who are truly a danger to our children and to the people who teach them.  Children of certain races do, in some jurisdictions, have to get special consideration.

Hopefully, someone will enact some sensible laws soon that put in some proviso that every child going to school deserves to be safe.  

Answer 2

Holy c**p I stopped readin after you said that you guys couldn't discipline him. I'm 30 and I believe in corporal punishment, and that there really p*ssed me off!

The kid needs a good spanking or something to be put in his place. No over-protective parents, that's not a threat either. Parents need to grow up before the kids!

Answer 3

    if you have any brains at all you will get out of that school.under those condition your children are in danger.breaking the law means nothing to them.you have already said your self.no one will say anything for fear of whatever.if some one gets killed.nobody will know anything.and in the end it will be your fault.if its one of your children.

Answer 4

Public schools are pretty much obligated to allow all children within their boundaries to attend.  OTOH, the school is only obligated to give any particular child so much attention and services.  Both of these are symptoms of a broken school system.

We had a similar problem when our child was in fourth grade, except that the perpetrator did not have any diagnosis....she just hated our child.  After she attempted to kill our child by choking her to death, the perpetrator received three-days of in-house suspension...she had to sit in the office until ten in the morning, after which she returned to the class.  Needless to say, the day our daughter was attacked was her last day in school.

There's not much you can do about this at all, except keep an eye on the child.  You are working within in a system that is completely broken.  Until the system itself is fixed, there's nothing significant you can do.  You have my sympathies.

All the best.

Answer 5

can't teachers turn the child in for assault too?  sounds like a bad situation.  one bad apple is ruining things for the batch.  good luck with all of this - hope it works out.