Texas teacher kicked out of classroom after duct-taping 5th-graders' mouths shut


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A teacher at a Central Texas elementary school was removed from the classroom Thursday after putting duct tape over the mouths of 10 fifth-grade students.

The teacher, whose name was not released, was a substitute at Maxdale Elementary School in Killeen.

Killeen ISD officials said in a statement that after the teacher taped the students' mouths, "three other students put duct tape over their own mouths."

The incident lasted several minutes, district officials said.

"As soon as school leaders learned of this incident, all 13 students were taken to the school nurse for observation and any treatment necessary," district spokesman Terry Abbott said in the statement. All 13 were uninjured.

The school also notified Child Protective Services about the incident.

The substitute teacher was removed from the class and barred from the school "as a result of this outrageous and unconscionable behavior," Abbott said.

One student told his mother that when he took the duct tape off his mouth, the teacher replaced it with another strip, the Killeen Daily Herald reported.

Maxdale principal Bobbie Evans notified parents about the incident.

"The leadership of Maxdale Elementary School and Killeen ISD are deeply saddened by this event," Abbott said in the statement. "The principal has informed parents, and has reassured parents that the staff will continue to work hard to make sure every child at the campus is absolutely safe every day."

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21 hours ago, 300z said:

No words on why the teacher did such a thing, it would be interesting to find out the reason why.

I'd be somewhat interested in what led to this as well, but still find it deplorable, as the teacher is supposed to be a trained professional, if the teacher cannot maintain control without having to resort to getting physical, (yes to me taping shut the mouth of a kid is physical) then the teacher has no business being in that profession.

 

A tiny bit close to home for me, as my daughter now 9 used to come home often with a grievance of one form or another regarding her teacher, alongside many other children in her class. A teacher who a few weeks later, walked out of her job, mid shift. (Good riddance, and I hope she's been stripped of whatever entitlement she had to be called a teacher).

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This does not have to be a nefarious event. Example: For fun, I have duct taped my all my kids hands and feet with duct tape at one stage or another in their life (before any idiots jump in, it was fun for kid too to see if he/she could break out). Also think... duct tape over the mouth? As if it was meant as a preventive measure since someone could simply take it off. Also given a couple of the other students did it themselves shows it could have simply been a class room gag. The story, as told, does not make sense. 
 

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46 minutes ago, The Evil Overlord said:

.

I am very curious to your thumbsdown. What part are you thumbsdowning? Serious question since I made no claims if innocence nor dismissed the action if it was meant in a bad way. Only saying that how it is written does not make sense. 

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3 minutes ago, Rippleman said:

I am very curious to your thumbsdown. What part are you thumbsdowning? Serious question since I made no claims if innocence nor dismissed the action if it was meant in a bad way. Only saying that how it is written does not make sense. 

I have seen kids having the top most layer of skin ripped from their lips whilst removing duct tape, where, amongst other injuries, bleeding and blisters also have occured immediately and for a time afterwards. 

I can only hope during your 'game' you taped the child's arms whilst they were fully covered by a garment sleeve, eliminating and risk of injury resulting from misuse, hence the 'I disagree' reaction.

 

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6 minutes ago, The Evil Overlord said:

I have seen kids having the top most layer of skin ripped from their lips whilst removing duct tape, where, amongst other injuries, bleeding and blisters also have occured immediately and for a time afterwards. 

I can only hope during your 'game' you taped the child's arms whilst they were fully covered by a garment sleeve, eliminating and risk of injury resulting from misuse, hence the 'I disagree' reaction.

 

This is all new too me to hear anyone having injury from duct tape. Unless you are buying commercial grade stuff (which only commerical places have a need for and is HUGE $$) , it doesn't stick all to well unless you have a flat metal surface. Other then that, it's just regular (but good) tape.

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9 hours ago, Rippleman said:

This is all new too me to hear anyone having injury from duct tape. Unless you are buying commercial grade stuff (which only commerical places have a need for and is HUGE $$) , it doesn't stick all to well unless you have a flat metal surface. Other then that, it's just regular (but good) tape.

Some duct tapes are no joke and they can indeed cause harm.

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4 minutes ago, Rigby said:

Kicking her out of the classroom isn't enough, she should be kicked into a jail cell.

Absolutely! Child abuse, assault,... In these parts a case could be made for a torture charge, and most of our judges are downright vicious on child abuse cases.

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21 minutes ago, DocM said:

Absolutely! Child abuse, assault,... In these parts a case could be made for a torture charge, and most of our judges are downright vicious on child abuse cases.

Really? You've been around for a while Doc, you have to remember teachers taking a ruler to the back of a kids hand for acting out and disrupting the class. You also know that when a substitute teacher shows up no actual class work gets done and the class becomes a free-for-all mess of chaos.

 

I'm not saying I agree with what the teacher did but most kids these days are undisciplined brats that could use a little bit of discipline in their lives.

 

Also we're not being told why the teacher did what he did. Seems like an important part of the story that is being left out.

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I've been around a very long time, and I remember the Deaconess (Lutheran nun) doing a number on my knuckles a few times. She didn't look like a Catholic penguin, but the effect was the same :rofl:

 

That said, there's a difference between a rap on the knuckles or a swat on the butt and doing something which could rip off  layers of skin or pull out hairs by the root when removed. Many duct tapes are fully capable of that. I've seen it in abuse cases. You wouldn't want to.

 

Sorry, but I have a very short fuse wrt child abuse. Seen too much.

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Duct taping kids mouths in school is extremely stupid. Should be charged. Paddling is one thing, this is something really stupid.

 

 

 

 

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10 hours ago, trag3dy said:

Really? You've been around for a while Doc, you have to remember teachers taking a ruler to the back of a kids hand for acting out and disrupting the class. You also know that when a substitute teacher shows up no actual class work gets done and the class becomes a free-for-all mess of chaos.

 

I'm not saying I agree with what the teacher did but most kids these days are undisciplined brats that could use a little bit of discipline in their lives.

 

Also we're not being told why the teacher did what he did. Seems like an important part of the story that is being left out.

I grew up in a time, just as they were phasing that out, I may agree on the overall message, but the law has changed, and what was once acceptable, is not anymore, so as law abiding citizens, we have to adapt and make changes also.

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They should video/audio record every classroom and provide a secure link to parents to review. 

Most would be shocked at the actions and statements of the students than that of the teacher.

 

In my day, you would NEVER consider talking back to a teacher.

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23 hours ago, Rippleman said:

This does not have to be a nefarious event. Example: For fun, I have duct taped my all my kids hands and feet with duct tape at one stage or another in their life (before any idiots jump in, it was fun for kid too to see if he/she could break out). Also think... duct tape over the mouth? As if it was meant as a preventive measure since someone could simply take it off. Also given a couple of the other students did it themselves shows it could have simply been a class room gag. The story, as told, does not make sense. 
 

lol :) I could think of a few id like to Duct tape their mouths....none of them children though :) one has the intellect of a child..... ;)

2 hours ago, The Evil Overlord said:

I grew up in a time, just as they were phasing that out, I may agree on the overall message, but the law has changed, and what was once acceptable, is not anymore, so as law abiding citizens, we have to adapt and make changes also.

hell , in my time at school, my rear end also met with the Headmasters belt.........:pinch: didnt do me any harm!

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On 10/22/2017 at 6:50 AM, Rohdekill said:

They should video/audio record every classroom and provide a secure link to parents to review. 

Most would be shocked at the actions and statements of the students than that of the teacher.

 

In my day, you would NEVER consider talking back to a teacher.

No, they shouldn't. Parents don't always know what's best for their children. There are many times where they hover over how teachers do their job and don't let the teachers properly do any of it. Knowing several teachers myself, there are parents who would abuse the living hell out of such a thing.

That being said, the duct tape thing could have gone many different ways and while I don't really know why this happened it probably shouldn't have. Still, I find the reaction to things quite ridiculous (taking them for medical evaluation). It's duct tape, and while you can be injured by it any harm done is likely way less severe than a good fall on asphalt would yield to these kids while they're running around.

We're so sensitive to things these days, I feel like children are living in padded rooms both physically and emotionally.

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My mom tells stories when she use to teach out in the Union school in the 70's. Back when the principles would throw the students against a locker. Those were the good old days of well-behaved children. Now the faculty can't touch the children and the classrooms are a unbehaved free-for-all.

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