The schoolyard bully and Nietzsche
My guess is that bullies aren't going to be reading state Supreme Court Chief Justice James Zazzali's opinion in the case of Louis White and the Toms River Regional School District.
Bullies are not into precise legal argument and nuance.
White was subjected to years of harassment from classmates, both verbal and physical. The school did some things to stem the tide of violence, but not enough for the state Supreme Court. Schools can be held liable for not protecting students from harassment.
On the other hand, the opinion also held that "a school cannot be expected to shelter students from all instances of peer harassment.'' That seems about right.
Lord knows gym class wasn't always a joy for me. But even when boobs and oafs would make fun of me or give me a shove, I adopted a Nietzschean position: Whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger. Also, looking back on it, I think I had a remarkably prescient outlook. I recognized that for a lot of bullies, high school was going to be the high-water mark for them. The ability to give wedgies is not widely prized in the general workforce.
I can probably afford to be sanguine about it, because it wasn't a constant in my life. But bullies can do a lot of damage. I remember a kid in junior high who was treated without mercy every single day. His name was Timmy. He was obese, his parents were Jehovah's Witnesses, which meant he didn't salute the flag, or celebrate birthdays and Christmas, so there were two strikes against him before he even opened his mouth. And his voice was high-pitched.
Even some teachers joined in the ridicule, particularly gym teachers who set him up to fail and invited the class to heap insults on him. He was always pleasant, and spent a good part of his day trying not to cry. One day he just stopped coming to school. I never found out what happened to him. Not all of us who run into a lout or two need court protection or even the protection of the school. I didn't. But Timmy did.
Bullies are not into precise legal argument and nuance.
White was subjected to years of harassment from classmates, both verbal and physical. The school did some things to stem the tide of violence, but not enough for the state Supreme Court. Schools can be held liable for not protecting students from harassment.
On the other hand, the opinion also held that "a school cannot be expected to shelter students from all instances of peer harassment.'' That seems about right.
Lord knows gym class wasn't always a joy for me. But even when boobs and oafs would make fun of me or give me a shove, I adopted a Nietzschean position: Whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger. Also, looking back on it, I think I had a remarkably prescient outlook. I recognized that for a lot of bullies, high school was going to be the high-water mark for them. The ability to give wedgies is not widely prized in the general workforce.
I can probably afford to be sanguine about it, because it wasn't a constant in my life. But bullies can do a lot of damage. I remember a kid in junior high who was treated without mercy every single day. His name was Timmy. He was obese, his parents were Jehovah's Witnesses, which meant he didn't salute the flag, or celebrate birthdays and Christmas, so there were two strikes against him before he even opened his mouth. And his voice was high-pitched.
Even some teachers joined in the ridicule, particularly gym teachers who set him up to fail and invited the class to heap insults on him. He was always pleasant, and spent a good part of his day trying not to cry. One day he just stopped coming to school. I never found out what happened to him. Not all of us who run into a lout or two need court protection or even the protection of the school. I didn't. But Timmy did.
posted by Michael Riley at 10:16 AM
3 Comments:
this is what happens when you have tenured teachers that can't be fired .things like this go on in every school through out New Jersey,but the unions bully the schools and nothing is ever done .50% of teachers don't have a clue about education.Now the taxpayer will have to foot the lawsuit bill.
Remember it becomes considerably harder for caring well meaning teachers, which I have to say is just about every teacher I have met in the district, to point out these issues. It becomes more complex when students realize if they are going to do this, it needs to be in the hall, around the corner in a locker room, or somewhere less noticable. It also becomes much harder when you have 1600 or more kids in a building and approximately a little over 100 personnel in the building, most either being in an office or needing to be in their room to supervise students while they come and go or during instruction. hire more teachers or monitors? Well, sue, if you want the coverage, you have to pay for it. And as for your comment about 50% of the teachers not having a clue about education, if theres proof in the pudding bring me the bowl.
TRAvenger
Sympathy for the JW kid is easy. I know. I was one. Now, I'm a BAC.
However, now JW kids are legalized primadonnas, who walk about their schools as if they superior to their satanically deceived classmates.
I wonder how many of them will grow up to be BACs if time permits???
I kinda wonder about professed Christians who grieve for those who would go to hell if they immediately died or if JC returned immediately. Need to re-read the OT and the book of Revelation for GOD's attitude toward false worshippers.
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