Sixth-Grader Poisoned Teacher, Police Say

March 4, 2011 12:49 PM

(Photo credit JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images)

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Education, Joshua, Poison, Student, teacher

JOSHUA (1080 KRLD) - A 12-year-old Joshua boy is in a juvenile detention facility after allegedly poisoning one of his teachers.

Joan Munday missed work at Plumb Creek Elementary on Wednesday because she was sick.

Some of her students knew immediately what was wrong. They had heard that one of their classmates had put a chemical in her tea.

The boy apparently got the sodium carbonate from a science class. It’s a component of many detergents that can kill in large doses and sicken in smaller ones.

Police say at first, the boy denied knowing anything. But as investigators questioned him further, he admitted spiking Munday’s tea.

Munday is expected to recover.

Sixth Grader Poisoned Teacher, Police Say

http://fortworthinsight.com/news/sixth-grader-poisoned-teacher-police-say/ Sixth-Grader Poisoned Teacher, Police Say « Fort Worth News Feeds

[...] Sixth-Grader Poisoned Teacher, Police Say A 12-year-old Joshua boy is in a juvenile detention facility after allegedly poisoning one of his teachers. Go to News Source [...]
Rick McDaniel

Teachers really need to tell governments to “take this job and shove it”!
King Ralph

The police can question a 12 year old without a parent or attorney? A 12 year old can’t sign a legal contract but is supposed to understand his legal rights? Zeig Heil!
Jane

We should hold the parents responsible for their kids’ actions. Maybe then they’ll parent!

Mitch

I didn’t realize the parents were present when he committed the act. If they were they should definitely be held accountable! Otherwise, I suppose the adults who WERE present are the ones who are responsible for the child’s supervision.

Dave

MItch, you’re a idiot
Elvira

Parents are fully responsible for their kids action until they are the legal age of 18. I should know my uncle is a cop and points that out every day when some kid does something stupid and the parents say I wasn’t there.

chris

shut up….

sister2

Actually, I think they can question without his parents or an attorney, because this happened at a school. I believe the school can turn the investigation over to the investigators, and all they or the police have to do is try to reach the parents. It’s apparently not looked at the same way as if the kid was just picked up somewhere else. I was student teaching a public school, and I saw that there handbook said something to this effect.
Mr Black

Well take your pick. Either the parents should be held accountable for the lack of upbringing of their little criminals or throw the kids in jail like the criminals that they are.

Mitch

I guess that covers a couple of choices. It would be OUTLANDISH to assume that folks who choose teaching as a profession voluntarily and presumably are well trained to manage, mentor, and teach children should bear ANY liability. Of course I’m sure they likewise accept no credit when children under their supervision excel.
Perhaps what we should consider in this country is postponing academic education until adulthood. That way the lines would be clear, parents would be forced to maintain full responsibility for children under 18 but would also enjoy the sole control and influence.

Mitch

Gosh Dave you’ve impressed everyone here with your brilliant counterpoint!
Wherever did you develop such impeccable analytical skills? I’d venture a guess: “You are a recent product of our fine public educators?”
Mia

It’s crazy what kids will do these days….things are so different from when I was a kid. We would never dare to harm a teacher…

Sharon

I think the worst we did was put a frog in teachers desk

L J

Hey Mitch, do you honestly think that anyone could see everything that happens 100% of the time in a classroom of 20-25 12 year olds? What about when the teacher is helping another student one on one, should they have eyes in the back of their head?Thats the problem when people make statements about things that they know nothing about, it comes from ignorance and it makes the speaker appear ignorant. By the way where did you go to school?

Mitch

The more appropriate question to ask me is WHEN did I got to school. I went to school during a time when the public educational system still recognized that children are by definition, immature and irresponsible. Consequently when I went to school it was understood that professional educators at that level bore a dual responsibility; to teach academics and to foster self-descipline and socially acceptable behavior. When I went to school teachers treated children (gasp!) like children. They did not have the expectation that children were essentially small adults who simply needed to be taught reading and math. As a result , schools in my time provided for an atmosphere of strict accountability where a the vast majority of children would never dream of a stunt such as this article details. The anticipated consequences were too great, and therefore served as a deterrent to such behavior even if the parents were not around. By contrast, in today’s system if 12 yr olds do not behave like adults even when nobody is looking our educators are dumbfounded and blame the parents when a 12 yr old makes a 12 yr old mistake. Simply amazing!

L J

Just curious, How do you know what goes on in schools today? Cable TV, internet news? Your personal beliefs? What you heard second hand from someone? If you did know anything about education you would know that if this child’s behavior was a one time incident then yes it is a child’s mistake. But since I am an educator I can relate to you that the VAST majority of the time when serious incidents like this happen it is usually not the first mistake for that student. Most kids do behave well and learn self discipline and socially acceptable behavior. The few students who cause the most trouble often have less than stellar parents. Mitch you seem like a reasonably well educated person and are correct to want to defend parents from blame. However, in the real world not every kid/parent is “in the right”. Mitch it sounds like you probably had some good teachers back in your day at school. There are still lots of good teachers in school today so can we quit bashing them at every turn.
Toni

Mitch, it is very interesting that you consider poisoning as ” 12 yr old makes a 12 yr old mistake.” I venture to guess that you are not a parent; at least I hope you are not and I am positive you would not make it one day in the classroom with any age children. You are an outsider looking in; making a judgment call. I am sure you do not deal with education first hand. Yes, it is different than in your day, but that is society’s fault not the educators. In today’s world parents send their children to school expecting the school system to raise the kids, to teach the basic character traits that they should learn at home. My parents taught me how to act in public, not my teachers. That is not the case now. I agree that there needs to be more accountability at school, but you have never had a parent threaten to sue you for giving their kid detention. Parents want the school to raise them, but then scream and yell when their child is disciplined. You articulate your thoughts well and you seem to be an educated person, maybe you should thank a teacher for that, not condemn the ones still trying.

Alex Patterson

It was probably the teachers fault like making students actually learn something and the student got offended when she made him put away his iPhone during class. I see it all the time.
Wasn’t it yesterday a student called 911 in CA because her teacher rattled a desk to get the students attention? He was put on paid leave for the incident. The audacity of some of these teachers forcing kids to learn something these days. Has to be painful for the kids.
Mitch

LJ, I got my information from having 4 children who are currently enrolled in the public school system. The oldest graduates this year and the youngest is in the 3rd grade. I assist the three younger ones with homework multiple times per week. Our children are not being taught today so much as they’re being trained. Animals are trained. Children must be taught to reason. I agree that there are good and bad teachers just like there are good and bad actors in every vocation. In education the bad ones have taken over and have sucessfully advanced an agenda which creates an environment of permissiveness for the children and non-accountability for the teachers. If the children misbehave or fail to achieve it is the fault of the children themselves or the parents. When was the last time anyone in the educational system accepted any small measure of responsibility or the failings of todays youth? That dog won’t hunt!
Susie

Unless I am mistaken, this student is 14 years old in the 6th grade. If so, this is probably not the first red flag that something is amiss. I agree with Toni and Alex. Teachers are not allowed to discipline students effectively without fear of retaliation from the parents. In my day children who misbehaved at school were disciplined at school AND at home.

Also, schools and teachers have never been held more accountable, and the state standards increase each year. In spite of the state’s rigorous standards, this campus has earned an exemplary rating which means the teachers and staff of this school are doing a great job. I am grateful for the dedication of my children’s teachers. I could not do their job, and until I am willing to try, I will be supportive of teachers. I am grateful for their hard work and dedication.
Amy

why are kids so stupid to do this stuff?

King Ralph

They learn it from adults.

grant

this boy is awesome
KAS

I work at the school in question. All the children should have been held accountable as a large group kept the teacher distracted while the *three* of them worked on adding the chemical to her drink. This was planed by several and carried out by the whole. Nope, two were singled out.

And just a side comment after reading all the back biting with several of the above comments. That school like many, really need parent support and that means that parent or guardian, must come to the school and help at the school level.
It makes a huge difference when the parents are there and help the staff. The kids improve greatly. And, the parents know exactly what is going on with their child’s teacher and classmates.

Take action, in the long run, these children will be working, driving and voting along side us one day. I’d like the one next to me, to be smart, emotionally sound and respectful of all people. That’s not going to happen if we simply leave it up to the ‘system’.

Sixth-Grader Poisoned Teacher, Police Say

March 4, 2011 12:49 PM

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