Reply to Teacher shot at Newport News elementary school

Forum Index » VA Public Schools other than FCPS

Reply to "Teacher shot at Newport News elementary school"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The defense is trying to pin the responsibility on “Mrs. Kovak”. She’s a reading specialist who held down “JT” after he shot the teacher. [/quote]
How in the world is the reading specialist at fault?[/quote]

Basically, they’re saying that because she did not search his backpack when she had the opportunity to do so. They asked if she was intimidated by a six-year-old, so mocking her abilities. They also questioned her in her lack of urgency at the playground when they suspected he took “something” out of his bag.

[/quote]
They don’t have much of a defense so I guess they have to reach for something, but the idea that the reading specialist is responsible instead of the school administrator who was warned no less than 4 times that this kid might be armed is laughable.[/quote]

My feelings are that not only is the school administrator responsible but this shooting could’ve been prevented at other points, so the defense has a point. Had somebody searched his backpack as soon as kids started telling them that the boy had a gun.

However, they were very concerned about protecting the shooters dignity and they did not search his person because the administrator told them to hold until the mom came later in the day.

They were all very concerned with the chain of command and their abilities to take action without permission.[/quote]
It’s not a point that absolves their client of any responsibility though. She was highest ranking official at the school that day and was directly informed of people’s concerns on multiple occasions. So the idea that a reading specialist subordinate to her somehow bears the responsibility instead of her is ridiculous. [/quote]

Maybe but the claim against her is gross negligence which is reckless disregard. If others had the knowledge and opportunity to act yet chose not to, maybe a jury will think the failure of the administrator to act does not reach the level of gross negligence. [/quote]
Others subordinate to her having an opportunity to do something, even setting aside her denying the request of one of her subordinates to search the kid, does not change what her responsibility as the AP of the school was. The buck stops with her on this. This lawsuit is the least of her concerns though given she’s facing years in prison at her criminal trial next month. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics