The Cellar - Senior Prank?

The Cellar (http://cellar.org/index.php)

- Current Events (http://cellar.org/forumdisplay.php?f=4)

- - Senior Prank? (http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=5836)

Found this today....

Quote:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. May 19, 2004 — Five high school seniors in Missouri have been charged with assault for allegedly trying to tape a teacher to a chair.
The students, all 18 years old, apparently thought it was just a prank, but they now face possible jail time and fines.

The Platte County prosecutor on Tuesday charged Joseph L. Blankenship, Dexter Briscoe, Daniel M. Ikona and Matthew T. Mayfield, all of Kansas City, and Trevor Hachman, of Weatherby Lake, with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor. Each faces up to 15 days in jail and a $300 fine.

"Neither the teacher nor the students were hurt in this incident, but this was more than just a senior prank gone bad," Platt County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd said. "The fact that the students continued joking about the event, even after they were handcuffed and being led to jail, shows a distressing lack of respect for school and police authorities."

School officials barred all five from taking part in graduation ceremonies five days after the May 11 incident, said Nicole Kirby, a Park Hill School District spokeswoman.

Kirby said privacy laws prevent her from commenting about any other disciplinary actions against the student.

Court records say four of the students allegedly tried to restrain the teacher while Blankenship tried to tape him to the chair. The teacher got away before being taped and was not injured.

A Platte County sheriff's deputy who works as a resource officer at the school arrested the students after hearing about the incident.

So is this just a senior prank or a precursor to other crimes? Assault? Rape? How would you punish them, if at all?

I think you would really have to get at the impetus for this action. Did they like the teacher and were just playing around or was this more revenge motivated? Probably only the teacher could answer that question.

The teacher should be jailed, and so should anyone else who can't take a damned joke.

Is the teacher particularly hairy?

First duct tape then before you know it, Andy, these kids'll be up in Mt. Pilot stealing newspapers out of vending machines! We have GOT to start nipping these things in the bud!

http://members.cox.net/xycof/barney.jpg

edited to fix broken link

Quote:

Originally posted by Radar
The teacher should be jailed, and so should anyone else who can't take a damned joke.

Yeah, but lets say they did manage to tie that teacher to the chair with the tape. Then what? You had 5 teenage boys vs. 1 incapacitated male. You're saying mob mentality would not have applied?

If a bunch of 18 year old males tied you to a chair, would you like it? Would you feel safe? Would you want to teach them anymore? I wouldn't. I'd have their asses kicked out too.

Some jokes aren't funny, and should not be tolerated.

I can't put my finger on precisely why, but Eric Zahnd's quote just creeps me out.

As others have mentioned, it depends entirely on intent and context.

Radar is wrong (once again.)

If there was a history of problems between the students and the teacher, the students were probably trying to settle an old score under the guise of a prank. That would be assault, and jail is justified.

If the students had no history of problems with the teacher, and they were approaching the teacher in a lighthearted friendly manner, I would say it falls in the unfortunate prank category. It's disrespectful, but it's not worthy of a criminal record and time in jail. Suspension would be appropriate in this case.

The teacher's point of view is critical here. We can only speculate.

Another news source

[IMG]http://images.ibsys.com/2004/0518/3320314_200X150.jpg[/IMG] http://images.ibsys.com/2004/0518/3320314_200X150.jpg

According to this article, one of the students said he wanted to "mess" with the teacher. Whatever that means.

Quote:

Radar is wrong (once again.)

I have yet to be proven wrong on any subject in this forum and I have yet to lose a single debate. But that's not really something to brag about since I'm mostly dealing mainly with blithering idiots. (Jaguar, glatt, Onyx, wolf, marichiko, ladysycamore, etc.)

Quote:

Originally posted by Radar
I have yet to be proven wrong on any subject in this forum and I have yet to lose a single debate.

Tell me again. What is that planet you live on?

Earth. You should visit some time.

Come on y'all! Lets tape Radar! He can take a joke!:)

Quote:

Originally posted by Radar
I have yet to lose a single debate.

Today's Kool-Aid flavor is cherry.

Quote:

Come on y'all! Lets tape Radar! He can take a joke!

Careful. I might pull a joke in return. Perhaps I'd seal your car up and fill it with water or park it on the roof of your building.