jbm32206
12-11-2007, 05:26 AM
First of all, if the teacher aid did hit the child, which is wrong, they'll end up being fired...without a doubt. If the account is accurate (which is yet to be seen) then he should be fired, if he landed the first blow.
I'd like to hear the other side of what happened, although if it ends up being the adult against a student(s) word, that may not fair well for him...as the kids tend to stick together when it comes to things like this.
However; nobody would be sitting in an ISSP (In School Suspension Program) setting for talking, as this kid says.
By Jim Schoettler, The Times-Union
Brandon McGraw admits he's no angel in the classroom, but the Jacksonville high school junior said getting socked in the face by a teacher's aide isn't his idea of proper discipline.
But that's what McGraw and other witnesses said happened Friday at Robert E. Lee High School during an in-school suspension class, where they were spending time for causing trouble, a police report said. The aide, Edward James Levy, was arrested and charged with child abuse, police records show.
McGraw, 16, said the attack occurred after Levy began yelling while students were noisily shifting around in the class, a police report said. McGraw told Levy he was acting as if he were bipolar. McGraw said Levy, 58, dared him to repeat the insult. McGraw said he did and was struck in the side of the face. "I was so shocked, it took me a little second to get up there and react to it," McGraw told the Times-Union on Monday, after his mother came to the newspaper to complain.
McGraw said he punched Levy and the two began brawling. Other teachers and at least one student broke up the fight, McGraw said. Police were called and arrested Levy.
Levy couldn't be reached to comment Monday after two phone messages were left at his home by the Times-Union. He has been prohibited from working at any school until an internal investigation is completed, said Jill Johnson, spokeswoman for the Duval County public schools.
McGraw said he was in the class, known as ISSP, because he had been too talkative a few days earlier. He said he has been suspended three times, including once this year. He also said he skipped school at least 10 times in the past nine weeks and calls himself "a little disruptive." He also said he has been arrested once for fighting.
McGraw received a five-day suspension for his role in Friday's brawl. Neither McGraw nor his mother believe the suspension is fair and both called for Levy to be fired. "I'm not going to rest until I know he is no longer teaching in any school," said Lisa Shaw, 43, McGraw's mother. "Whose to say if he's having a bad day ... he might not do it to another child?"
McGraw said Levy should have given him another referral or removed him from class rather than hit him. "Nobody should be able to put their hands on me except my parents," McGraw said.
Levy has worked since 1991 as a substitute teacher, teacher's aide and briefly as a science teacher in Duval County, school system records show. His job at Lee High School was to oversee the in-school suspension class. There are no reprimands in his personnel file.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/121107/met_224422732.shtml
I'd like to hear the other side of what happened, although if it ends up being the adult against a student(s) word, that may not fair well for him...as the kids tend to stick together when it comes to things like this.
However; nobody would be sitting in an ISSP (In School Suspension Program) setting for talking, as this kid says.
By Jim Schoettler, The Times-Union
Brandon McGraw admits he's no angel in the classroom, but the Jacksonville high school junior said getting socked in the face by a teacher's aide isn't his idea of proper discipline.
But that's what McGraw and other witnesses said happened Friday at Robert E. Lee High School during an in-school suspension class, where they were spending time for causing trouble, a police report said. The aide, Edward James Levy, was arrested and charged with child abuse, police records show.
McGraw, 16, said the attack occurred after Levy began yelling while students were noisily shifting around in the class, a police report said. McGraw told Levy he was acting as if he were bipolar. McGraw said Levy, 58, dared him to repeat the insult. McGraw said he did and was struck in the side of the face. "I was so shocked, it took me a little second to get up there and react to it," McGraw told the Times-Union on Monday, after his mother came to the newspaper to complain.
McGraw said he punched Levy and the two began brawling. Other teachers and at least one student broke up the fight, McGraw said. Police were called and arrested Levy.
Levy couldn't be reached to comment Monday after two phone messages were left at his home by the Times-Union. He has been prohibited from working at any school until an internal investigation is completed, said Jill Johnson, spokeswoman for the Duval County public schools.
McGraw said he was in the class, known as ISSP, because he had been too talkative a few days earlier. He said he has been suspended three times, including once this year. He also said he skipped school at least 10 times in the past nine weeks and calls himself "a little disruptive." He also said he has been arrested once for fighting.
McGraw received a five-day suspension for his role in Friday's brawl. Neither McGraw nor his mother believe the suspension is fair and both called for Levy to be fired. "I'm not going to rest until I know he is no longer teaching in any school," said Lisa Shaw, 43, McGraw's mother. "Whose to say if he's having a bad day ... he might not do it to another child?"
McGraw said Levy should have given him another referral or removed him from class rather than hit him. "Nobody should be able to put their hands on me except my parents," McGraw said.
Levy has worked since 1991 as a substitute teacher, teacher's aide and briefly as a science teacher in Duval County, school system records show. His job at Lee High School was to oversee the in-school suspension class. There are no reprimands in his personnel file.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/121107/met_224422732.shtml