A 6yo street fighter?

[Darth Avlectus]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/nyc-gym-teacher-claims-6-old-student-beat-195314203.html

 

the boy

 

At 5-foot-10 and 220 pounds, gym teacher John Webster is not a slight figure. But the former college football player claims a 50-pound, 6-year-old student physically assaulted him and sent him into therapy.

 

The New York Post reports that Webster fractured his ankle and injured his knee, all at the hands of 4-foot-2 Rodrigo Carpio. Walker says he now has to wear a brace on his right leg.

 

"It's sort of like an angel-devil sort of thing," Webster, 27, said of Rodrigo. The boy "looks like an angel, but then, all of a sudden, that halo turns into horns. It's been a nightmare. It's embarrassing. It's humiliating."

 

And there's reportedly more than just the incident with Webster. Rodrigo, a first-grader at PS 330 in Queens, also allegedly kicked the school principal and pinched several other individuals, including a school security officer.

 

Webster told the Post that the confrontation started when he was escorting several students to the school cafeteria.

 

"I tried to hold his wrists, and he began biting me,'' Webster said. "I took him to the principal's office, and he kicked me in the ankle, and one kick landed right on my knee. I felt a pop.''

 

Lawyer Andrew Siben, who is representing Webster, described Rodrigo as a "tiny terror."

 

"It's sad that teachers like Mr. Webster are not offered protection from someone who can endanger other teachers and students," Siben told the paper.

 

However, Rodrigo's parents say the allegations are ridiculous.

 

"The lawsuit is totally absurd," said the boy's father, Jorge Carpio, 44. "How could my little boy do so much damage?"

 

"This is a terrible thing to say [about] a child," said his mom, Josefa Marcia.

the gym coach

 

 

Calling it now. Either this is some serious shenanigans by Yahoo! news, or this kid is set for a hardcore life on the streets and behind bars.

 

I'm normally not one to advocate corporal punishment. Certainly not child abuse. I'd preferably like to see the parents do something about their kid before it gets out of hand. However, if this continues, it warrants some official going full hell's fury on this kid. Just my opinion though.

 

And yet still, I find this all just a little hard to believe. Maybe got in some lucky shots but I suspect if he got in a real fight with a grown man who got angry enough to actually attack him back, he'd maybe put up a little fight at first but soon fall down and start crying when he realizes he's getting beat like a drum and mommy and daddy aren't there to save him.

 

Either way the brat's gotta learn there's some nasty painful consequences for such behavior. Cops "aren't supposed to" hurt kids but they'll bend the rules and be totally vindicated for it even if something goes wrong. Watched it happen.

[LDR]

I call bull.

 

If this is real, then it's another case of parental denial. Allow me to quote one guy who commented:

 

Parental denial: This is why US Schools are in such bad shape, the "little darlings" can do no wrong. When I taught high school, we were told that we could NOT intervene if students were fighting. All we were approved to do? Ask them to please stop and move away from each other. Because of idiot parents, the inmates are running the institutions.

[thejman217]

I call bull.

 

If this is real, then it's another case of parental denial. Allow me to quote one guy who commented:

 

I call BS as well. How the **** does a tiny little kid beat up a huge, (I TOTALLY DO NOT promote racism here) black gym teacher? I mean seriously, how is it possible? A huge, black gym teacher. *Once again, I am not racist*

 

And if you've ever read the Harry Potter series, you will see something like this happen just like in the book. (Vernon and Petunia saying "Gentle Dudley" who is on the boxing team wouldn't hurt a fly.)

 

I'm sick of these so called "parents" that baby their kids so much and spoil them. It's as if these people are brainwashed. If and/or when I ever have a kid, I will NEVER baby my kid like that.

 

Forgive me if I seem like I'm b*tching.

[Blix]

So I'm assuming they allowed him to pose for a quick photo before slapping him in cuffs and driving him to beyond scared straight?

[Darth Avlectus]

Personally am not sure what to make of it. I was almost tempted to ask the lot of us here in a poll. Only reason I didn't is because I'm genuinely baffled and first impressions are best.

 

Just seems so ridiculous it's comical. A 6 year old, 4'2", 50 lbs, landing a fracturing blow to the knee-side of a former football player? Did the guy have prior injuries to it or what? Straight out of a cartoon it seems like.

 

 

I wonder: What would Red Foreman do?

[Blix]

Personally am not sure what to make of it. I was almost tempted to ask the lot of us here in a poll. Only reason I didn't is because I'm genuinely baffled and first impressions are best.

 

Just seems so ridiculous it's comical. A 6 year old, 4'2", 50 lbs, landing a fracturing blow to the knee-side of a former football player? Did the guy have prior injuries to it or what? Straight out of a cartoon it seems like.

 

 

I wonder: What would Red Foreman do?

 

Well I think it's against the law for any faculty/school teacher to physically assault a student (or to even lay a finger on a student since it could be misconstrued as inappropriate behavior) -- so defending himself by touching the kid (even just enough to get him off of himself) would be used against him. In these cases it's best to guard yourself as best as you can, hope that you have enough credible witnesses and/or proof and take legal action against the parents and the school (for providing a hostile work environment).

[JesusIsGonnaOwnSatan]

I think it's believable. The kid was high on rage, and the gym teacher couldn't fight back without being sued, or accidentally killing the kid. Ankles and knees are delicate points, especially if hit from the right angle with enough force (which i think an angry 4 year old has enough strength to do).

 

I don't know what appropriate consequences for the kid would be. Legal action seems a bit harsh, but on the other hand, making the parents pay may alert them and other parents to try harder to make sure their kids are disciplined enough not to do this.

 

black gym teacher

 

Are you implying, that he would have been better at defending himself because he was black, and by proxy, implying that black people are more suited to violence?

[thejman217]

@JesusIsGonnaOwnSatan: No. Even though the knees and ankles are sensitive points, this man is still 5'10 and 220 lbs. I seriously doubt a *six not four year old kid was able to "fracture/break?" this man's knee and ankle. That is why I'm calling BS. Even though the parents are babying this kid, I still don't think all this is actually true.

[Ping]

I'm calling BS for now, but I kind of doubt myself a bit, considering how the kid is posing in the picture. Still I find it hard to believe a child could cause harm to a man of the size.

[thejman217]

I'm calling BS for now, but I kind of doubt myself a bit, considering how the kid is posing in the picture. Still I find it hard to believe a child could cause harm to a man of the size.

 

Glad someone else sees my point.

 

And like Blix said, I'm sure the parents allowed him to pose in the picture before the kid was likely expelled/suspended. *obvious sarcasm*

[Tommycat]

Some people here calling BS must not have tried to handle small children in an angry state. They can do a whole lot of damage.

 

1) the kid can swing away at full power as many times as he wants

2) the child is large enough to break ankles and knees(it only takes 6lbs of lateral pressure) IF he gets a lucky shot in.

3) kids are very lucky.

4) the race and weight of the man has no bearing on this as the man would be unable to properly fight back(and really race means nothing). A single full force punch would likely have ended the fight, and likely the child's life.

5) Adults have better self control.

[mimartin]

Agree with Tommycat... but will add environment may have nothing to do with it either. Kid needs to be taught self-control before he does something really terrible.

 

5) Most Adults have better self control.

Fixed

[Tommycat]

LOL. I completely missed that I was implying that all adults had better self control. Some have worse self control than a 6 year old brat.

 

I would disagree about environment not having anything to do with it. Being in a school offered the kid more protection than on the street, where if he tried to do that to a person not constrained by the requirements of being a teacher, he'd likely have been a different sort of news story with a much more tragic ending.

[mimartin]

Sorry, but I used "may" because I know that kids can have this type of lack of self-control no matter where or who raised them. My step-brother was pretty much like this when he got really mad and he was raised in the exact same environment as me. I also know teachers that deal with this type of behavior, both in influential schools and lower income areas. So while environment and parenting can contribute, it is not the only factors that can cause kids (even adults) to freak out like this.

[Tommycat]

Oh... My mistake, I was thinking you meant environment as in the location of the attack(in a school which was more lenient towards kids). Not "environment he was raised in." I tend to agree with you on that. My step brother raised in the same house as me and by the same people as me... THUG.

[Darth Avlectus]

While I do think parents should administer the discipline and not teachers, a teacher has as much right as anyone else to at least avoid their physical integrity being compromised. And I won't have any sympathy for this family if discipline is handed down by a cop's reaction to their little boy being a menace before long here.

 

Well I think it's against the law for any faculty/school teacher to physically assault a student (or to even lay a finger on a student since it could be misconstrued as inappropriate behavior) -- so defending himself by touching the kid (even just enough to get him off of himself) would be used against him. In these cases it's best to guard yourself as best as you can, hope that you have enough credible witnesses and/or proof and take legal action against the parents and the school (for providing a hostile work environment).

 

As much I surmised. So I guess he's going to keep it up until one day he attacks a cop. I can just imagine how that's going to go over.

 

In some school districts I went to, if a student was causing bodily harm to another, it wasn't necessarily against the law to restrain the offender if you were a teacher. There were other minor exceptions like that (body block, shoving out a door to close and lock it) which admittedly all had to meet certain criteria or they'd lose their job.

Security officers are another matter, and I'm pretty sure have to be deputized by local sheriff or other law enforcement and are allowed a little more leniency.

 

Apparently neither of these seems to be the case here.

 

I think it's believable. The kid was high on rage, and the gym teacher couldn't fight back without being sued, or accidentally killing the kid. Ankles and knees are delicate points, especially if hit from the right angle with enough force (which i think an angry 4 year old has enough strength to do).

 

High on rage, but for what?

 

Another possibility I hadn't thought of: Could it be possible someone facilitated and taught this to the kid?

 

Either that or it was a seriously lucky hit.

 

I don't know what appropriate consequences for the kid would be. Legal action seems a bit harsh, but on the other hand, making the parents pay may alert them and other parents to try harder to make sure their kids are disciplined enough not to do this.

 

As I said above, there's the inevitable run-in with a cop.

 

@ general subject:

 

Now if it was a case where the kid was a bit older and he was in trouble for improper physical contact with a teacher (touchy-feely) because she was good looking, I think I'd have a hard time reprimanding him. I'd probably scold him like "You shouldn't touch a teacher because she's a public employee, and legal consequences, and indecent behavior, and ya-ya-ya" but I'd have to try so hard to keep a straight face. I know I wouldn't be able to avoid asking at the end: "So how was it? Was it worth it?"

 

After all, you're essentially asking a dad to punish his son for good taste.

[Totenkopf]

Why couldn't he just make a pass at a female colleague or something and get sent to one of those rubber rooms where teachers go while on suspension at full pay? Seriously, though, I agree that it's possible. But how probable? So, does this mean that there will have to be (more?) surveillance in schools to protect all (teachers, students, staff....) from potential lawsuits or other harm?

 

@DA--I suspect there may be a lot more of that than we'll ever know.