TEACHER abused son @ bball game

[DL11]

What is the name of your state? OHIO

My 14 yr. old son went to a local minors baseball game with his girlfriend and her father and a few of their friends last Friday night. The kids went to get food and saw a group of their teachers and past teachers all sitting together and drinking beer (most of them holding 2 cups of beer according to the kids). One of them was a past gym teacher of his from last year, whom my son always thought highly of and they got along great. This past gym teacher, I will call him "Mr. M" was highly intoxicated (drunk) and while the kids were talking to him they realized he wasn't himself at all and my son said asked him, "Mr. M" are you drunk?" and laughed. "Mr. M" immediately got volatile and started threatening my son saying, "Shut up! You wanna fight?!!" Then he shoved my son up against a metal pole styled fence, held him against it with one hand and reared his other arm back with a fist about to punch him when Security approached and said, "Hey! What's going on here?" "Mr M" hollered something about my son trying to agg him on... My son and his friends were scared and immediately got out of the middle of the scene once the security guards interrupted. The kids all said "Mr M" got so hostile with Security that they began escorting him out of the park, all the while "Mr M" was shouting, "You can't do this to me, I'm a school teacher!"

We contacted the School Superintendent first thing Monday morning, he apologized for the incident and stated we have to follow procedure which starts first with filing a formal written complaint against the teacher.

My husband and I thought of contacting the local news station, but decided to wait and see what the school system does in response first. Someone just told us to seek legal counsel. What, if any, legal ramifications are involved in a situation like this? We are outraged at this teacher's behavior, even if it was off school property and hours, it is highly unprofessional and quite scary at that.

Thank you in advance for any and all advice.

 

[Shay-Pari'e]

The first thing you should have done was call the police, and report this. If son is telling the complete truth, this is assault.

 

[DL11]

Re: Calling the police

The first thing you should have done was call the police, and report this. If son is telling the complete truth, this is assault.

We did not find out about it until he got home at 11pm that night. They didn't call us from the ballpark. The game was held in Dayton Ohio, it was a Dayton Dragon's ballgame, we live 20 minutes away from there. If we had called the police here in our small town, they would have told us it was a Dayton issue, we would have had to contact the Dayton police, meaning going back to Dayton to report it at the scene, and the ballpark was closed. I know this for fact, heard it from the local police before regarding issues with my husband's ex-wife b/c she lived in Dayton. Same from the Dayton police, go call the police from the city it happened in.

Is it too late to call them now?

 

[Shay-Pari'e]

Apparently it wasn't important enough at the time to drive 20 miles down the road to the police station.

I don't know if it is to late, as you did not mention the date it happened. It certainly won't look good for you without a police report.

 

[Ohiogal]

If this happened last friday call and report it! Make sure your son gives a statement and tells the whole truth.

 

[CdwJava]

Other than reporting it to the police, there may be nothing else that can occur.

The teacher was NOT at a school function, was NOT on school grounds, and was NOT acting in his capacity for the school or district, so there may be no punishment that the school can give him.

Without injury, it is likely that no civil suit will succeed in doing anything but enriching your attorney with your money.

A police report for the battery is about the only recourse at this point.

- Carl

 

[DL11]

Thank you. We are not the type of people to make a huge ordeal or file lawsuits left and right out of every negative situation in life. The fact that bothers us tremendously is that he is a teacher and should be held to a little more standard than just another idiot drunk out there.

I just know that it's a good thing my husband and I were not there!

 

[CdwJava]

Thank you. We are not the type of people to make a huge ordeal or file lawsuits left and right out of every negative situation in life. The fact that bothers us tremendously is that he is a teacher and should be held to a little more standard than just another idiot drunk out there.

I just know that it's a good thing my husband and I were not there!

I completely agree with you. As a teacher he should NOT be behaving that way in public - and certainly not towards a student. But, other than a police report, there is nothing much that can be done. And, sadly, your child will have lost the previously held respect he had for the man because of this.

It is also possible that the man will come to his senses and seek out your son to apologize. Hopefully, that will happen.

In the meantime, if you and your son wish to pursue it, contact the Dayton police. You might consider having him write or type up a statement beforehand ... the police should like that - it makes it easeir for them.

- Carl