News & Politics - Students Break Teacher's Neck Over iPod

MalloryKeaton · 02-26-2007, 12:46 AM

This is so wrong. The teens should be ashamed.

Quote:

link

Police: Students Break Teacher's Neck Over iPod
Two Teen Suspects Arrested

Updated: 5:48 pm CST February 24, 2007

Philadelphia -- Police said they arrested and charged two students Friday in an attack on a Germantown High School over an iPod.

Officials said 60-year-old math and photography teacher Frank Burd had two broken bones in his neck after the attack.

"You could hear it break. You could hear when he fell on the ground," said Synquetta Reid, a student who saw the incident.

School officials said the teacher had taken an iPod from a student during class, and after class, two students, a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old, were waiting in the hall for him. One student pushed him and another threw a punch, police said.

"He fell ... on his face. After that, they turned him over and there was all this blood," Reid said.

"I've been told that there's no paralysis involved, but nevertheless, a broken neck is a serious injury," said Paul Vallas, CEO of the Philadelphia School District.

The attackers fled the scene, but police later took a ninth-grader and an eleventh-grader into custody.

They were charged Friday with aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment, police said. A determination has yet to be made on whether the arrested students would face the charges as juveniles or adults.

School officials said the ninth-grader had previously been expelled and was up for expulsion again due to disruptive behavior.

On Friday night, the Germantown High School Alumni Association was celebrating former students who have done the school proud at a fundraiser for construction of a new school library.

Not many of the attendees were past students of Burd's, who has been at the school for 11 years, but they all knew him. He was supposed to be taking pictures at Friday's event.

Despite an absence that was beyond his control, Burd was apparently the one apologizing.

"You know what he said? 'There goes my 100-percent attendance.' That's what he said because he never misses a day," according to principal Dr. Rose Ford. "... He called back to let me know how he was doing and that he'll be back soon."

The spirit may want to rejoin classes soon, but his body might not be able to for some time. Burd remained in intensive care Friday night.

"Actually, the kids wanted to go and see him. We told them that we would wait and send cards, and I confirmed that Mr. Burd is doing well," Ford said.

Some students said Burd was the last teacher they expected to be targeted.

"I didn't believe it was Mr. Burd because I wouldn't think anyone would do something like that to him," said one girl.

Distributed by Internet Broadcasting.

Nab · 02-26-2007, 12:56 AM

That just makes me sad. It was an ipod, they would have gotten it back, I'm sure. There was no need for that kind of behavior, and I really hope something is done to those kids. I'm hoping they aren't allowed back at that school, for starters.

Lain · 02-26-2007, 01:35 AM

Oh jeez! Is an iPod worth fighting for!

Quote:

School officials said the ninth-grader had previously been expelled and was up for expulsion again due to disruptive behavior.

Um...isn't being expelled a permanent thing, meaning that the kid was not supposed to come back to the school ever??

migamoo · 02-26-2007, 04:41 AM

I don't know how it is everywhere, but expulsions at my high school had varying rates. Some were for months or some all together. It depended on what the student did.

Ashleigh · 02-26-2007, 05:59 AM

When we said "expelled" at my school, it meant your butt was out the door forever. Suspension fell under anything else. For example, kids came to school and got drunk? Two week suspension. This kid named Big Wayne (don't ask, this is Alabama

) stayed out of school for the majority of the school year? Expulsion papers, never came back.

Which was sad, 'cause I missed Big Wayne.

**sunnykerr** · 02-26-2007, 06:07 PM

And, at the risk of sounding terribly, terribly, old. But, in my day, pushing around a teacher was just not an option. Ever. Not because you got the paddle or whatever if you did. But because, no matter how disrespectful we were behind their backs, you would never dare to question the authority of a teacher to his face.

Indian Summer · 02-26-2007, 06:21 PM

I'm not really "old" yet- only been out of high school a couple years- but pushing a teacher definitely isn't an option now, either. I can't even imagine this going down- it just seems totally crazy to me. Maybe it's because I was a good private school girl, but if you even bumped into a teacher in the hallway you'd be blushing and apologizing profusely, lol.

jalapeno_wildchild · 02-26-2007, 07:07 PM

i feel bad for the teacher but at least it sounds like he's goning to be ok and they got the two students who did it.

-Kelly- · 02-26-2007, 09:26 PM

That's so awful


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