Very well said.

[Edited on Nov 13, 2004 by crispy]

I DID read the story. It simply said "lunch time". That could imply either the cafeteria or the playground, hence my comment.

I'm confused. Going by the father's reaction, why were there kids playing contact sports during lunch?

And, wow, a kid getting suspended for disobeying teachers - what is the world coming to?

I think that the fact that the school is held responsible for everyone inside the school, children and adults alike is overlooked.
I can certainly understand why they suspended her. If she accidentally fell and broke her arm, her parents technically could sue the schools. or any student that she injured could sue the school....
It was a risk the school dept wasnt willing to take.

Case in point, when I was in 2nd grade, I was running during recess, and fell over a drain pipe onto a piece of glass. My mom wanted the school to be held responsible for my hospital bills, because the glass went all the way through my hand, and I had to do some physical therapy for it.
The school system balked, saying I should not have been running.
My mom brought up the fact that I was running, but didnt put the glass on the playground. The school tried to worm its way out of it, but eventually paid for everything.
Meaning, that they WERE held responsible for me running on their property, and were responsible for someone breaking glass on their property.

I dont blame the school, I took gymnastics for a while, and there is a time and place for everything. I just hope she learns she can hurt someone, and needs to follow rules.

The article is a little,short on details but I've seen kids do these things close to a crowd of other children. No warning, just pop right into a cart-wheel.

I think it's understandable that the school is worried that some other kid is going to move into the hazard area and some one could get hurt. Then some teacher will be sued for not stopping it.

ok, hands up anyone that actually sued their school when they were kids?

when i was 6 some kid was demonstrating what he'd learned in judo class the night before, 'cept he obviously wasn't paying much attention because when he tried to throw me over his shoulder he tore all the ligaments in my elbow. teachers told me to stop being a baby about it - that's a quote - and get to my next class. they had to call my mum eventually because i wouldn't stop crying, and we went to the hospital where six hours later they put my arm in a cast to immobolise the joint and give it time to heal.

at no point did anyone consider suing anyone.

kids run around, kids have accidents, kids get hurt and hurt other kids. maybe y'all need to stop trying to stop kids being kids and start trying to stop parents being fucking idiots that sue every time normal things happen to their children.

Ah yes. That was an innocent time. Life was golden then.

That's all well and good, up to a point. But...

When I was in middle school, a classmate of mine got hit in the face with a baseball bat during gym class. On purpose.It fucked him up big time.

You bet there was a lawyer or three involved, and this was twenty years ago.

There's a huge difference between an innocent mistake and willful misconduct.

I'm sure we all remember the great Chicago Red Rover disaster in '84. The History Channel interviewed a doctor that treated most of the wrist injuries. He still has nightmares.

"I remember back when children weren't too good to go through the windshield with the rest of the family"
- Jeff Foxworthy

but what about the neglect of the teachers not getting me the necessary medical attention? nodoby wanted to sue for that either.
and if someone hits you in the face, hard, with a baseball bat. on purpose. you sue them, not the school they were going to for not stopping it happening.
if a teacher hits you in the face with a baseball bat, you sue the teacher, not the school.
if the teacher did it because he was ordered to by the entire schoolboard, then you can sue the school!

stop suing schools people!

Well we didnt sue the school, but did make them pay my hospital bills, read my previous post.

i know. i read it. you didn't sue. in other news, kittens are mostly fluffy.

11 year old kids getting pregnant nowadays and we're worried about cartwheels? Wow.

You know how I learned that my actions could hurt somebody? I accidentally hurt somebody. Then I felt bad. Then I got home and got punished. Then I felt bad again.

The modern satety culture has become dangerous.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

"We're calling your father," struck fear in my heart much quicker than, "You'll get a detention." Of course, I grew up back when it was okay to yell at your kid.