Student suffers amputation after embarrassing school assault

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Student suffers amputation after embarrassing school assault

http://www.kare11.org/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=851660&catid=14



CROSBY, Minn. -- Pain is the operative word in the unfortunate story of 14-year-old David Gibbons. It is a pain he has endured both physically and emotionally after being punched in the groin by another student as he changed classes at Crosby Ironton High School.

"One o'clock in the morning he woke me up and told me he was in excruciating pain," recalls Christy Gibbons, David's mom. Not long after, David was in surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital in Brainerd having his right testicle removed.

"This may be called a game, but it's not a game. It's dangerous and it needs to stop," said Christy.

It's a notion seconded by Dr. Scott Wheeler, a Brainerd urologist.

"It's just gotten way out of control," said Wheeler, who now performs "three to four surgeries a year" on boys with ruptured testicles and other complications of being groin punched - with dozens more coming in with less severe injuries. "It's high school, junior high, elementary school," said Wheeler.

Dubbed "sack tapping" by some students, the practice is now featured in dozens of homemade videos on YouTube.

"We're gonna see who our first victim is," says a student in one video before punching an unsuspecting male student in the groin as he walked down a school hallway.

It is painful to watch and Dr. Wheeler says increasingly common. "All parents, you need to have this talk with your kids not to do it. It's lost its humor. It's not a game anymore. People get hurt."

"I don't know how to stop it," said David, who says he's been the recipient of similar attacks in the past. His parents pulled him out of school and are now planning a move to a different school district.

Jamie Skjeveland, superintendent of Crosby Ironton schools, says the investigation of the incident involving David is complete, but he declined to comment on any disciplinary action for privacy reasons.

On Wednesday morning the Gibbons are scheduled to meet with Crow Wing County Attorney Don Ryan to learn if criminal charges will be filed against the other student.

"This kid doing that, he should definitely be held responsible for that," said Denny Gibbons, David's dad.

Doctors have told David that even though he lost a testicle in the attack, he should still be able to have children someday.

David's mom mostly wants other parents to be aware. "I seen the pain he was in. I seen what he went through every day, and it just breaks my heart and I don't want any other child to have to go through this."

[htuttle]

1. Kids, Idiocracy was meant to be *satire*

[Donnachaidh]

42. yup -- and what does that tell us as to the intelligence of these kids?

Jeez -- how stupid has this generation gotten?

[LiberalLoner]

2. This is so awful. Are we devolving into Lord of the Flies? I think we are...n/t

[Jkid]

6. Yeah, and society is letting it happen.

[Poll_Blind]

3. Damn, that's terrible. BTW, isn't this sexual assault? Because while...

...this wasn't sexual in the classic sense, the whole point of this was to cause pain in the child's genitals. Period, full stop.

PB

[pepperbear]

4. let's see: "Sack Tapping", "Beat the Jew", yep I'd say we're fucked

[Ian David]

8. It's called "Enhanced Childhood Interaction." n/t

[opihimoimoi]

10. WE are fucked only if it continues to happen repeatedly...Jail them offenders w real jail time

Sue the parents for med bills...

Failure to instill common sense is a CRIME... should be...

[Lyric]

26. Don't forget "Kick a Ginger" day.

:puke:

[MrScorpio]

5. Today we learned students were kicked of others schools...

For carrying a party popper and a broken syringe to each of their classes.

And the other kid who assaulted this child hasn't had anything happen to him yet?

What am I missing here?

[Ian David]

7. Doctors have told David that even though he lost a testicle in the attack, he should still be able t

Unless they do it to him AGAIN.

[Bluzmann57]

9. One (crude) way to stop it

If a boy gets punched in his testicles, punch back. Hit the attacker in the face. Hit him in the jaw. Hit him anywhere you can.
See, something similar happened to me many years ago, although admittedly not to that extent, and that's exactly what I did. I beat the crap out of the guy. My gym teacher made him go to the principal's office and I got didn't get into any trouble at all. Not even with my pacifist parents.

[noamnety]

11. "many years ago" - it isn't the same now.

With changes in laws and schools cracking down, the same action you took years ago without repercussion would be likely to get you expelled for a full year from any public school. Even if the other person hit first.

[Bluzmann57]

19. Yeah I suppose you are correct

And while I don't condone violence, I sometimes think that maybe some of our older ways may have been a better way to settle things. I truly feel sorry for that young man.

[girl gone mad]

12. "I don't know how to stop it"

The attacker's parents should be sued into poverty.

[BlueIris]

36. That's what I posted below. Unfortunately, since the attackers' parents are also sociopaths,

I doubt poverty will inspire better behavior in them.

[jmowreader]

52. I know exactly how to stop it

Do they make cast-iron jock cups? If not, they should.

I guarantee this sack-tapping shit would stop the second some jock tried sack-tapping the class nerd and broke every bone in his fucking hand in the process.

[struggle4progress]

13. Can you say civil suit? Can you say "attacker is a sex offender"?

[Warren DeMontague]

14. "to learn if criminal charges will be filed"... What the fuck???

Where is the "if", there?

A kid gets caught with a bag of weed, they'll fall all over themselves to file 'criminal charges'. A teenage girl texts a nude picture of herself to her boyfriend, the PTB's are 'obligated by law' to charge her with some crazy draconian felony. 18 year old kid has consensual sex with his 16 year old girlfriend, 'sorry, our hands are tied, we have to send him to jail'...


Yeah, but shit like this? Gee, whiz, was there a crime there? :shrug: Ya think? :think: Oh, I guess we better check. Don't know. Hmmmmm. :eyes:

[WinkyDink]

22. Try even giving another student an aspirin! No joke!

[tblue37]

29. Remember the 12-year-old girl who was removed from class in handcuffs

because she doodled on a desk in washable ink? She was arrested for vandalism/damage to school property.

But this sort of permanent damage is not considered a crime?

Excuse me!

[Maat]

50. +1000

Geez.

[boston bean]

15. My son was in kindergarten and it happened to him.

It was terrible. He had to have surgery for a torsed testicle and part of it was removed. The school didn't care and treated him and us like it was my sons fault.

They were so afraid of a lawsuit, which didn't even enter my mind, until they began to act to protective. They circled the wagons and blamed my son for playing with this kid at recess and or that he straddled the see saw.

Even though boy admitted punching my son in the groin and they still made excuses.

[WinkyDink]

23. {{boston bean and son}} Revolting behaviors.

[boston bean]

24. It was really bad. My husband was in shock because they rushed

my son into surgery so quickly. He was in kindergarten........

Luckily my son doesn't have much of a memory of it.


Thank you!

[BlueIris]

33. How awful. I'm sorry our school districts are run by pathetic cowards. nt

[Amerigo Vespucci]

49. Society loves to hold the victim responsible...

...inexplicable behavior, but consistent. I'm very sorry to learn that this happened to your son.

[Canuckistanian]

16. Kicking someone in the nuts in my day was a "punishable offense"

And by that, I mean that the guy who did the kicking got piled on and beaten- by whoever was near. It was unforgiveable.

EVERY guy knows the excruciating pain. And if you inflicted it - you were toast.

[htuttle]

32. Indeed

It was the Playground Code.

[MineralMan]

17. Well, there were a bunch of DUers giggling about this

little game yesterday. Shame on them.

[BlueIris]

37. Who are these people and why aren't they BANNED?

This isn't FreeRepublic.

[FedUpWithIt All]

41. There are always a little band of DUers that giggle about others' suffering.

Pathetic really.

[seabeyond]

44. that is exactly what i was thinking MM. disgusted with it yesterday.... glad to see

you mention it on this thread.

people that laugh at others being hurt. i dont get it. it isnt funny. it isnt a game. and who the fuck has the right to embarrass, to be cool. i was waiting for someone to deck a person. none of the boys did

shame on them is right.

my boys in middle school and high school, and they have not played this 'game"

[jberryhill]

18. Hey Kids! Jackass III, Director's Cut Is Out This Week!

Woo hoo!

[slutticus]

20. Damn. We used to play Sllab all the time

Didn't think it could actually physically damage us :scared:

[seabeyond]

45. well, arent you the man..... nt

[KT2000]

21. File charges now

that is the only thing that will stop such attacks - and fast.

[BlueIris]

35. I say sue until they're selling their furniture. nt

[Dr Morbius]

25. For many years every alleged comedy has included a crotch shot.

Even so-called family movies like the Beethoven series.

It is tragic, but not surprising, to see there are consequences to this sort of thing. It's different when the violence is in cartoons; the child-mind accepts the unreality more quickly.

Show a nipple and that movie's rated R. Include a bad guy getting kicked in the reproductive organs and you're still PG. Something wrong with America, my friends. A lot of things.

[tblue37]

30. Don't forget "America's Funniest Home Videos"! nt

[Dr Morbius]

43. Damn. And I've been trying so hard to forget AFHV. (nt)

[jmowreader]

53. It's still on...

They call it "America's Funniest Videos." They should call it "Ow! My Balls!"

[Bucky]

27. "IF" criminal charges will be filed against the other student? What's the deal with "IF" here?

Prosecutorial discretion should only extend to how many witnesses do you charge with conspiracy, how many school officials do you charge with gross negligence for allowing this go on this long, and whether the perpetrator gets charged as a juvenile or as an adult. I don't see any latitude but that the assailant get charged with premeditated criminal assault.

My gut reaction is that "an eye for an eye" justice is called for here, but obviously that's not permissible. But damn, I wish it were.

[BlueIris]

34. For real, Bucky. Why isn't his attacker IN JAIL?

This story has left me so disturbed. If one urologist has to perform three to four surgeries a year to treat this kind of injury, how many of these assaults are occurring? INSANE.

[d_r]

28. its all fun and games until somebody puts a ball out

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Touchdown]

38. Christian parents better put a stop to this...

... or there won't be any teabags left to party with.

[WestSeattle2]

39. Teenage males are insane. I know, I was one some years ago. n/t

[MadMaddie]

40. I will tell you what will stop it

Mom and Dads' need to buy the picked on kids cups (not just any ordinary cups) but cups made out of something so damn hard (but comfortable) when another kid punches a boy in the crotch he breaks his damn hand.

Now we all know what will happen the kid with the cup will get kicked out of school. So be it maybe this will save a kid from invasive surgery.

[ohheckyeah]

46. Good idea!

I can't believe the guys who do this don't get arrested for assault.

[Odin2005]

47. Good god!

:puke:

[MadMaddie]

51. So kids shouldn't be able to protect themselves?

If no one bullys and punches a kid in the crotch then it wouldn't be necessary. The schools are allowing this behavior they are not protecting the kids that are minding their own business. How many other kids are going to lose testicals or have other serious injuries before the school does anything about this behavior?

If a kid has a cup on and no one punches him then there is no issue.

Is is that you want to protect the bullys rights?

[Prometheus Bound]

55. What a strange response!

[MadMaddie]

57. Which response 47 or 51?

51 is in response to the throw up smile with "Good God".

Why is it strange?

[Prometheus Bound]

59. Because 47 was responding in disgust to the OP.

And you lay into the poster for some reason.

[MadMaddie]

60. So when I look at my #47 post in my DU there are two responses

and that individual was responding to my post. That's why I responded the way I did.

[Prometheus Bound]

61. Well that's pretty strange.

My computer has Post 47 by Odin2005 responding directly to the OP.

You have posts 40, 51 and 60.

[Odin2005]

58. This has nothing to do with giving a bully a well-deserved beat-down.

This has to do with bullies striking another kid's genitals for shits and giggles!

[kestrel91316]

48. These miscreant teens need serious jail time. So serious that other teens will

be TERRIFIED to even try that crap.

If anything ever called for setting an example, this is it.

[Iggo]

54. Ah, yes...the Junk Punch.

Funnier in concept than in practice.

HINT (for the kids): In the movies, THEY'RE FAKING IT!

[flvegan]

56. Criminal charges, then sue the parents into oblivion.

[Bucky]

63. Sue the school into oblivion

[saras]

62. Another effective solution

Three parts
Part one: Metal ball cups with spikes on the outside.

Part two: Sadists get hormone treated into passivity, with as much as it takes. If the guys grow tits as a fringe benefit, tough.

Part three: Everyone in school knows who the ones in part two are.

It's like an eye for an eye, but only until they grow up.