Girl, 12, Faces Charges After Death of School Safety Agent

The NY Times ^ | Dec. 18, 2005 | KAREEM FAHIM

[summer]

Vivian A. Samuels

A 12-year-old girl who struck a school safety agent shortly before the agent died on Friday night has been charged with harassment and resisting arrest, the authorities said. She was later released from police custody.

The girl, whose name the authorities did not release, will appear in Family Court in Brooklyn on Monday, when officials from the city's Probation Department will decide whether further legal action will be taken against her, said Laurence Busching, the chief of the Family Court Division of the City Law Department.

On Friday night, Vivian A. Samuels, 56, was escorting the girl from a holiday dance at Intermediate School 390 in Brooklyn when the girl began kicking and flailing, striking Ms. Samuels at least once in the head, the authorities said.

The safety agent, who began feeling short of breath as her colleagues came to her aid, was taken to Kings County Hospital Center, where she was pronounced dead. The authorities believe she may have had a heart attack....

School safety agents are civilian employees of the Police Department....

[summer]

Yesterday I posted the initial news article about this matter:

School Safety Agent Dies After Escorting Student From Holiday Dance [Teen kicks]

[summer]

A 12-year-old girl who struck a school safety agent shortly before the agent died on Friday night has been charged with harassment and resisting arrest, the authorities said

If this is all she's charged with, then she's getting off easy.

[OldFriend]

Radio news reporting only that the woman collapsed and died of a heart attack while escorting a student.

No mention at all of the circumstances AND the attack.

[summer]

FYI, an update.

[summer]

Very interesting.

There was a time when I thought more blacks working in these kind of schools would help these kids more, but I no longer think that. There are blacks I've talked to who will not work with these kids any more because of the potential for violence. When black adults won't work with black kids, I don't think anyone can call that racist.

[mtbopfuyn]

Depends on the cause of death. If the head injury caused the death, then the girl is at fault. If the woman had a heart attack, even if was brought on by the excitement, then the girl shouldn't be charged with murder.

[OldFriend]

A few years ago, in NY, a young girl attacked her pregnant teacher. The injuries were severe. The reason for the attack.....the teacher called the girl's parents to discuss the lack of effort on the homework.

The community held marches to support the student.

[summer]

Geeze. I heard a similiar saga from someone else recently, a teacher who got harassed for contacting parents about students. What can I say. I feel sorry for these kids and their parents and their situation, but I think I have finally reached the point where I feel: Good luck to them. I can't solve the problem. And, I don't feel like waiting around until I get punched or kicked or worse. So, good luck, kids!

[Right Wing Assault]

When black adults won't work with black kids, I don't think anyone can call that racist.

Civil rights pimps can say anything they want. All they have to do is say the person wasn't really black (just an oreao) or wasn't black at all. Bill clinton, though, was really black.

[davisfh]

"When black adults won't work with black kids, I don't think anyone can call that racist."

No, but you'll likely be called racist for even mentioning it. There is no longer a two-way street out there.

[tracer]

Very sad. Likely a case of inadequate basic and in-service training, personnel monitoring, SOPs, equipment, and organization. Prayers for the officer and her family and colleagues......

[infidel29]

Thanks for the update, seems the little daisy is getting away with ...manslaughter.

[Chode]

and what do you suggest she be charged with???

[AnAmericanMother]

Well, since the old common law rule was that "you take your victim as you find him," the usual example being an abnormality in the skull that renders a blow to the victim's head fatal . . .

She had no intent to kill, but she meant to strike the officer, so I would say voluntary manslaughter.

[FreedomPoster]

Bingo. That was my thought as well.

[summer]

The NY Post also has an article about this; and in their version, they said the following:

This safety officer had been on the job for more than 20 years (so it was not a training issue, apparently), the 12 year old girl was overweight and "hefty," and the girl threw not one punch, but two punches directly at the head of the officer.

In addition, the punches flew after the girl was asked to leave with the officer, and the girl demanded a refund of her $6 (six dollars) admission cost to the dance. The refund did not appear to be forthcoming, so the girl punched the officer twice.

Finally, the officer's family is saying this officer had no prior medical conditions and no heart conditions. The officer was very involved with her church, and her son is a minister.

Here's a brief excerpt (NY Post requires registration):

KID SOCKED IN DEATH OF SCHOOL OFFICER

By TOM LIDDY and HASANI GITTENS
December 18, 2005 -- A 12-year-old middle-school girl whose pummeling of a school safety agent preceded the woman's sudden death is facing charges of resisting arrest and harassment — and was released to her family, officials said yesterday....[Register to read MORE HERE.]

[summer]

Also see the above update, from the NY Post.

[summer]

Also see post #16 for an update from the NY Post.

[summer]

FYI.

[Chode]

these kids have absolutely NO respect for authority and she'd-a done the Exact Same Thing if it had been a REAL Policewoman... would that finally make it murder then since it was in the line of duty???

[infidel29]

Well, I've heard enough, strap her down to the "Tookie table" and let society have it's justice.

Oh, that's right, the SCOTUS said she can't be put to death, she don't know no better.

[PAR35]

1 - Thanks for the update.

2 - I agree with your comment.

[tracer]

"This safety officer had been on the job for more than 20 years (so it was not a training issue, apparently)."

The job no doubt changed over the past twenty years, as did the "youth" she worked with. Still very sad -- the life of a church-going lady prematurely ended, and the "girl" no doubt will walk out of juvie hall when she's 18 or 21, free as a bird....

[tracer]

" Finally, the officer's family is saying this officer had no prior medical conditions and no heart conditions."

Not to belabor this, but a person's first heart attack often is their last....

[Born Conservative]

[Riverman94610]

In my district,ALL the security guards are BIG black guys and you are correct-they get"no love"from the little homies because of their race.
Many of these guard are also"from the streets"themselves and don't take any mess.No white or Asian man would dare say or do some of the things I have seen the black officers do with these kids.

[Amelia]

I think she ought to also be charged with assault and battery, at the very least.

In Georgia, assault on a school employee is a designated felony. I'm not sure what the law would be in NY, especially considering the child's age and that the safety officer is an NYPD employee rather than a school employee.

I'm just waiting for someone to say the public schools are at fault for this little hellion.

[summer]

I think she ought to also be charged with assault and battery, at the very least.

I agree; that's the minimum, because it does not appear to be in dispute that she did punch this officer.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

what a sad story. Prayers for this woman and her family.

[demkicker]

I want this kid to be punished somehow. IMO, at the very least, she needs to be locked up for a year or two in juvie.

[summer]

Many of these guard are also"from the streets"themselves and don't take any mess

I also really believe there needs to be a military presence in some of these schools, with a retired military officer in full uniform just being in the classroom at all times. Just the presence of that kind of person would help a lot with discipline.

Some of these kids would greatly benefit from a lot more real life authority figures/semi-intimidation and a lot less touchy/feely/crappy psycho counseling. I know that sounds harsh, but believe me, these kids have already learned if they cry and whine enough, and say certain things and lie, they can land in a guidance counselor's office instead of in a detention.

Then there are some kids who really want to learn and know exactly which classmates they wouldn't miss at all. Sadly, these kids who want to learn are the ones who suffer the most in these schools. And there really are kids like that, who want to learn, will do their homework, volunteer to read aloud every time, etc. These are the kids who really want to be better than where they come from, while the others want to strut their ghetto attitudes in your face.

It's just heartbreaking because you know so many of these kids are heading straight for jail. It's just a matter of time.

[summer]

Not to belabor this, but a person's first heart attack often is their last....

It seems to me the NYT is pushing the heart attack angle, while the NY Post is implying not so fast with that.

It's possible the girl's two punches to the officer's head were akin to the force of a blunt object, and that was enought to cause a death. A punch in and of itself can in fact cause a death. For example, check out this article:

Jailed Student Warns Others About Violence in Schools

This concerns a 17 year old boy in Jacksonville, FL, and with one punch, he killed a 15 year old boy on school grounds. And, oops, of course, he didn't mean to kill him.

[summer]

the "girl" no doubt will walk out of juvie hall when she's 18 or 21, free as a bird....

Yep.