General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsS.C. Teacher Bullied Student Mercilessly, Called Him "Gay Boy," Until Student Attempted Suicide
It's time the bullies got their asses kicked out of positions enabling them to carry out their sadistic behavior.
Update: School appears to have removed all faculty listings?
http://westashleyhigh.ccsdschools.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=2879849&pageId=4153728
Article - see >>> http://www.alternet.org/investigations/sc-teacher-bullied-student-mercilessly-called-him-gay-boy-until-student-attempted?akid=10893.1119768.hHXc6J&rd=1&src=newsletter892873&t=7
CHARLESTON, S.C. (CN) - A high school math teacher in South Carolina bullied a student so mercilessly as "gay" that the boy tried to kill himself, the teen and his mother claim in court.
John Doe and his mother sued the Charleston County School District in the Charleston County Court of Common Pleas.
The teacher, Alan Ingram, is not named as a defendant, though he is named throughout the complaint. Ingram was the boy's teacher at West Ashley High School in Charleston, the family says in the lawsuit.
"In early April 2013, Ingram began bullying plaintiff in class, in front of plaintiff's classmates, by telling plaintiff's classmates that plaintiff was 'gay,' and by calling plaintiff names and belittling him in the presence of his classmates. This continued on a daily basis for an extended period of time," the complaint states.
"During this time, Ingram repeatedly belittled plaintiff in front of his peers, calling plaintiff names in class such as 'Gay,' 'Gay Boy,' 'Mrs. Pete,' 'Mrs. Peters,' and other names.
"Ingram repeatedly told plaintiff's classmates that plaintiff was in a homosexual relationship with another male classmate and that they were 'boyfriend and girlfriend'.
"Further, Ingram encouraged and asked other students in class to pick on plaintiff as well and similarly belittle him during classes."
The boy's mother, who filed the lawsuit as Jane Doe, said her son felt particularly helpless because Ingram was in a position of authority,
"Plaintiff was made to feel that he could not report this to the school administration; and further, plaintiff felt he could not appeal to any of his classmates due to the alienation and isolation created by Ingram," the mother and son say in the complaint.
The teacher's bullying gave boy "emotional and psychological distress which was manifested by physical illness," his mom says. As a result, she says, her son "attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself."
He has since withdrawn from school, is being educated at home, and is undergoing mental health counseling, his mother says.
The family seeks damages for gross negligence and pain and suffering, and costs of the lawsuit and medical bills.
They are represented by Philip Hammond, with Uricchio, Howe, Krell, Jacobson, Toporek, Theos & Keith.
Ingram is still a math teacher at West Ashley High School, according to the school's website, checked this morning (Friday).
Rex
(65,616 posts)Sounds like a hate crime.
RKP5637
(67,032 posts)marmar
(76,985 posts)backscatter712
(26,355 posts)This teacher should be publicly whipped.
Response to RKP5637 (Original post)
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bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Orrex
(63,085 posts)I hate George W Bush; that doesn't mean that I'm secretly a closeted George W. Bush.
Some homophobia might be motivated by such issues of self-loathing, but there is no basis for concluding that this explains most (or even many) examples of violent homophobia.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Orrex
(63,085 posts)Those durned gays!
RKP5637
(67,032 posts)Last edited Sun Sep 8, 2013, 12:51 PM - Edit history (1)
QC
(26,371 posts)Admittedly, there are plenty of self-loathers, like Roy Cohn and J. Edgar Hoover, but homophobia is mostly a straight issue.
etherealtruth
(22,165 posts)There is something "criminal" about this kind of verbal abuse
mysuzuki2
(3,521 posts)Seriously, this man is beyond despicable! He should never be allowed in a classroom again. Want to bet this is not the only kid he's bullied?
RKP5637
(67,032 posts)underlying mental health issues in addition to this displayed behavior. Definitely unfit for a teaching position ... and many other positions.
City Lights
(25,171 posts)Gawd, this makes my blood boil!
RKP5637
(67,032 posts)visibility of their callous lives and despicable acts. In the past, the news would have been probably hidden on the back page of the local paper.
Arkansas Granny
(31,483 posts)were also affected. To witness bullying like this and feel unable to do anything to stop the abuse is a horrible feeling of helplessness. To others, seeing a person in authority act in such a way might encourage them to emulate such behavior.
I'd be willing to bet that every student in that classroom was adversely affected by the actions of this lowlife.
RKP5637
(67,032 posts)in a classroom setting with young impressionable students.
Response to RKP5637 (Original post)
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maddezmom
(135,060 posts)Hopefully, I read it wrong.
Response to maddezmom (Reply #22)
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maddezmom
(135,060 posts)People like you who want to blame the child's response on his parents for not raising him right, in your opinion.
dsc
(52,130 posts)I am flat out appalled by your post. If he is too terrified of who he is to do his job, he should quit.
kcr
(15,300 posts)Please. Yes, let's not "hyperventilate" about the teacher that bullies a student to the point of attempted suicide. Your post is disgusting and that attitude is the reason there are teachers who get away with this.
hunter
(38,264 posts)But not by teachers.
What trouble I had with authority was they'd overlook the bullying or they'd sometimes accuse me of provoking it.
I hated school from middle school onwards because I was skinny, reactive, and just plain odd sometimes.
Taitertots
(7,745 posts)Our whole education system is fundamentally "Leave your children with strangers, you can trust that we won't abuse them". Every case like this fundamentally undermines public education.
LiberalAndProud
(12,799 posts)The teacher is a hateful homophobe. What in the world does his sexual orientation have to do with it? 'He's so hateful he must be gay," isn't helpful to this conversation. I have known plenty of straight people who are polluted with hate. It isn't the exclusive domain of "closeted gay folk." Some churches preach this shit. Some people believe hating on the gay is a holy rite. And you know what? Some of them are STRAIGHT.
Smarmie Doofus
(14,498 posts)Question: Don't straight people ever do *anything* wrong ?
Cronus Protagonist
(15,574 posts)Despite the assertions of all the armchair psychiatrists here, you can't tell if someone's gay by who they bash and beat.
Homophobia is not always caused by repressed homosexual urges.
RKP5637
(67,032 posts)all cases. Some are homophobes and just plain hate and can be any sexual orientation.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)I passed this on to her via FB so she can spread it around the community. This teacher needs to be shunned by the community and drummed out of town (after being criminally prosecuted for this obvious child abuse/hate crime).
RKP5637
(67,032 posts)Iliyah
(25,111 posts)just fucking damn. Prayers to the family.
Igel
(35,197 posts)They put information up that needs to be put up. Eventually.
They have far weaker mechanisms for ensuring that all information that should be taken down is taken down. The person who posted the staff page probably has 20 000 other things to do and is unrelated to the office that fired or suspended the teacher.