Posted on 10/22/2004 5:19:31 AM PDT by Muzzle_em
Alleged assault took place in front of fourth-grade class at Bibb school
A Bibb County elementary school teacher is in jail, charged with beating a student's mother in front of 19 fourth-grade students.
Katrina Ann Rucker, 30, is charged with battery and cruelty to children after the assault at Bruce-Weir Elementary School about 8:50 a.m. Thursday. Rucker was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, school officials said.
The parent, Lurella Amica, suffered a fractured nose, a possible broken bone near her eye and numerous bruises, Macon police spokeswoman Melanie Hofmann said.
Amica was in stable condition in the emergency room of The Medical Center of Central Georgia late Thursday night.
Bibb County Campus Police initially responded to the school but, citing a conflict of interest, called Macon police to handle the investigation.
Amica told police the fight was over her daughter's book bag, according to the police report.
In an interview with police, Amica said she went to the school to deliver a note to her daughter, 9-year-old Valentine Swarn. At the classroom door, the girl told her mother that Rucker had thrown her bag in the trash can, the report stated.
Amica entered the classroom and tried to retrieve the book bag, but Rucker grabbed for it and the two struggled, the report stated.
After Amica wrestled the bag away, Rucker picked up a chair and hit her in the back, knocking Amica to the floor, according to the report. Rucker then began punching Amica in the face and body.
During the fight, Swarn was crying for her teacher to stop hitting her mother and ran up to them, the report stated. Rucker then hit the child, pulled her hair and pushed her out of the way before starting to strike the mother again, Amica told police.
Rucker dragged Amica by the hair outside the classroom, according to the report.
"A school administrator and another teacher had to pull the teacher off the mother," Hofmann said.
In Rucker's account of the story, she said Amica hit her hand during the initial struggle, Hofmann said.
"The teacher said she was defending herself because she gets a shot in that hand and it hurt," Hofmann said.
Rucker was in her first year in Bibb schools, said Ralph Warren, assistant superintendent for human resources.
"This stands out as an unusual event for me," Warren said.
He declined to say where she had been employed previously.
Principal Karen Konke, reached at home Thursday evening, declined comment and referred questions to Sylvia McGee, the system's deputy superintendent.
McGee said school staff called the parent or guardian of each child in the class. Social workers counseled students individually and as a group, and only Swarn left school early.
Konke sent letters to parents informing them of the confrontation and the arrest.
"Let me assure you the school is safe and that our students have been involved in appropriate instructional activities throughout the day," Konke said in the letter.
McGee said Macon police, not Bibb County campus police, arrested the teacher because "when there's a situation, especially involving one of our own, we tend to have external" authorities make the arrest.
The criminal investigation will take precedence over the inquiry conducted by school officials, McGee said.
"Then we'll come right behind with the administrative part," McGee said.
Hmmm, could have fooled me.
On a more serious note, this assault was bad enough, but to do it in front of the kids is just unthinkable. And government schools run around touting themselves as "safe." Truth is, kids aren't safe physically or intellectually in public schools.
2 sides to every story. I could understand someone doing this to my ex. She could pi$$ off anyone.
Now that's news.
a little jail timeout for this one!
And last, I hope? Probably not.
Good grief! Fourth grade? Over a book bag?
Somebody is taking crazy pills again.
Man! That teacher is whack!
LOL! I've met quite a few of those mom's. There are some that would have driven me around the bend if I were a teacher.
Teacher needs to be on Ritalin, I guess!
I guess Rucker should stay out of the Ritalin cabinet.
"He declined to say where she had been employed previously."
Maybe a bouncer at a lesbo bar? LOL
We don't know the whole story, such as how provocative the parent was, but the fact is this: Any teacher who cannot diffuse a situation and who beats the crap out of a parent (and hits the child) in front of a classroom and needs to be pulled off the parent, has NO business being anywhere near children. What if a kid had really p*ssed her off? I'll bet those kids have some other stories to tell about their teacher's prior behavior.
Obviously the teacher was only defending herself.
/sarcasm
Quote:
The book bag is somehow central to the whole affair. So, why did the teacher throw it away?
Also, what kind of "shots" would be given in her hand?
SLAP!
Sorry. I'm better now.
Professor Plum...in the classroom...with the bookbag.
Professor Plum...in the classroom...with the bookbag.
must have been that Bush/Cheney sticker on the outside of the book bag. (just a joke), I think the back is the key. what kind of teacher throws away a kid's book bag? seveal questions do come to mind, and those relating to why the mom gave a note to the child does not bother me. I know I have had to go give a note to my child in school. She is forgetful so the note is there to remind her. What's the history between the two combatants. is the teacher dating the kids dad, and did not want to deal with the ex? what has dad had to say about this?
Aw, the poor thing.
WWE and/or WWF?
I am not looking to justify the behavior by the teacher.
Sure. What's unsafe about having your face smashed or your kids getting thrown around by their hair?
On a less serious note, I would've liked to see the kerry voter try this with my wife. My wife would've kicked her a$$.
"Where she had been employed recently."
I'm guessing World Championship Wrestling or as we say in south Georgia "wrasslin'".
Short of the Mother pulling a gun, I can't see how this behavior could in any way be justified. And hitting the child is inexcusable.
This teacher neeeds to be locked up for a very long time, and those responsible for hiring her should be very worried about their employment status.
Short of the Mother pulling a gun, I can't see how this behavior could in any way be justified. And hitting the child is inexcusable.
This teacher neeeds to be locked up for a very long time, and those responsible for hiring her should be very worried about their employment status.
Ralph Warren, Master of Understatement.
Schools are all for making up stupid rules resulting in throwing away or confiscating good and paid-for supplies and other things without parents' permission, and parents are rightly pissed.
At the very least if there's an "issue" with a kid bringing something inappropriate to class, it can go in a holding box, NOT a trash can.
There is definitely more to this story. Maybe some sort of a common love interest?
Maybe the teacher was simply brushing up for the elections! A good little NEA DNC voter no doubt! I think she's been in the union a little too long.
One word: HOMESCHOOL!
I wonder if the girl was having trouble with the teacher and mom came to check on the situation.
I have done that many times, unannounced.
Having had parent/teacher conferences yesterday, I can fully understand the mom being extremely upset.
I'm curious as to what set the teacher off tho.
Does she think mom overstepped the "Its MY classroom and you aren't crap in here" or what?
Teachers nowadays have no problem treating parents like they have no business being involved with their children while they are at school.
At the same time, and not to defend this obviously wack teacher, teachers have to put up with alot of guff......the paperwork alone is crazy...and typically teachers have people from the school, the district, the subdistrict, the state, the peer mentoring committee, parents, etc...walk in several times a day...it is very disruptive.
This is a serious matter and these teachers are suppose to have back ground checks. The children were at risk and this is inexcusable regardless of the circumstances.
Just a thought - I wonder if the book bag had a picture or an advertisement for a political candidate that the teacher didn't like....Hmmmmmmmm...I wonder who that could have been.
In this case there is a perp and some victims and it is obvious who they are.
Justice calls for a fair trial and swift punishment.
If so, I disagree. There is more to this story but reading some of the posts here seem to suggest a rationalization or excuse for the actions of the teacher. I have hit people back who have hit me but I never go into a battle frenzy unless I feel my life is threatened.
I'm not shocked. Disgusted, but not surprised.
Please don't get me wrong. I have the utmost respect for GOOD teachers.
Unfortunately, they are getting to be far and few between.
What I am dealing with now is the mentality the teacher has that they "know" what is best for MY child and that I am just a stupid bystander.
That doesn't work for me and if it means making life miserable for the teacher, so be it.
I refuse to be treated like I don't have a clue about my child.
I wonder if this incident will be included in the NCLB persistently dangerous schools report.
Probably not.
But, allow me to point out a few things.
First, as a caveat, I think public education is a joke that should be abolished, let parents homeschool their kids or pay to put them in private schools.
Second, when you are a teacher, as I have been, you usually have anywhere from twenty to thirty kids, all with different apptitudes, skill sets, etc.
Every parent on the other hand only has one child in the class.
Unfortunately in our system, the utilitarian ethic has to somehow come in.
You are right, you may know what is "right" for your child, but this may not be what is right for the class in general.
Also, in my own experience, many, many parents are often the "enemy" in this sense.
There is the parent whose child can do no wrong (very common among well to do parents)
There is the parent you never see whose child has not eaten properly and never does his work and has severe emotional or other problems.
There is the worry wart parent who rushes in to see you if his or her child is not being treated or educated in the way the parent sees fit.
I agree there are alot of awful teachers, but it is a thankless job. Especially in our public school system, where the teacher is supposed to serve as disciplinarian, educator, therapist, counselor, nutritionist, goverment employee with all the paperwork that entails, all on very low pay.
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