https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/loose-lips/blog/13132314/hard-luck-five-years-after-a-horrible-attack-teacher-francis-boldens-life-is-still-broken

Thanks to the poster who posted the link about the DCPS teacher who was injured on the job when a high school student purposely dropped a fire extinguisher on his head. I wish there was an update as the story was from 2011. I do wish there were more work place protections.

AP is a garbage institution and is only a small part of the overall issue with charter schools. We co-located with APA for two years, and the stories I could tell. What a mess.

Anonymous wrote:Former charter school teacher in SE (not Achievement Prep). I was sexually assault ES by a staff member at the school and was afraid to report it because the charter school culture was really instense, that particular staff member was well liked and I was new. I also was afraid that I would not have had workplace protections based on a conversation with a family friend who practiced law but not employment law....so I quit mid year. I would never teach in another charter school much less send my children to one....even the so called good ones. I have heard stories about so many “good charter” schools from teacher and admin friends who are at working at these places.

This is so terrible. I am sorry you experienced this. I really would like to know how we can improve teacher protections for this kind of thing. I hope the news media picks this up as a trend story. As a charter parent, I would like to see better regulations and rules, rather than throwing out the whole system.

Regarding the relationship between the parents and Andrea Brown, the woman who assaulted teacher Page Garbee, the two are friends - according to attorneys in the court hearing. The parent was heard telling Brown "you can't do that at school," when she assaulted Garbee, but the video tape has no audio to confirm. Documents from the charter school state there was a challenge in identifying Brown due to a identification issue during the sign in process at the school, but the document does not elaborate nor have my questions to the school been answered on that matter.

I posted earlier and I’m back. I wonder if the school has policies in place now after this incident. I also wonder if that parent and her “guest” were banned from the campus.

I agree with PP, sounds like the perp got off really easy. Only 30 days in jail and no sexual offender registration.

Why wasn't the perpetrator required to register as a sex offender? It sounds like sexual assault to me.

Former charter school teacher in SE (not Achievement Prep). I was sexually assault ES by a staff member at the school and was afraid to report it because the charter school culture was really instense, that particular staff member was well liked and I was new. I also was afraid that I would not have had workplace protections based on a conversation with a family friend who practiced law but not employment law....so I quit mid year. I would never teach in another charter school much less send my children to one....even the so called good ones. I have heard stories about so many “good charter” schools from teacher and admin friends who are at working at these places.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holy crap this is horrible.

Seriously? Charter schools are not required to protect their staff from assault on campus or provide paid leave? WTF people! "should have hired an employment lawyer" screw that the city and board of ed needs to step up and protect our teachers. How about Ms Bower herself?

Of course they are required to take measures to protect their staff from assault. And it absolutely appears they failed to do that although given the description I don't' know how the school was supposed to prevent this sort of attack.

The school is not required to provide paid medical leave if they have fewer than 50 employees (same for every employer in the city). They are only required to provide unpaid leave.

It's an awful case, but why is this any different than an employee of a restaurant being assaulted? Or any other workplace incident.

If you think schools are extra-special, then one solution would be to require charters to provide short-term disability policies that would cover the cost of a medical leave.

Hmmm... maybe that could be part of a negotiated settlement if this teacher does sue. Sounds like the school response (unilaterally placing the teacher on unpaid leave) was a poor choice.

I don't think it's just a poor choice. I think it is downright sickening. I'm just thinking about our charter, and if one of our beloved teachers was assaulted and then feared to come to school since absolutely nothing had been done to prevent this type of thing happening again, that parents would be up in arms if she was then essentially pushed out without pay. Clearly this school isn't in the same league but there should be some type of public uproar in support of this poor woman.

She's going to law school. I hope she learns to sue and then does it. But I also hope that "safe schools" will apply to not only children, but teachers and administrators.

Those of you on this thread simply saying welp, nobody gets paid leave in small businesses are missing the point. Yes, schools are special cases. And they're not businesses either (they are nonprofit).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holy crap this is horrible.

Seriously? Charter schools are not required to protect their staff from assault on campus or provide paid leave? WTF people! "should have hired an employment lawyer" screw that the city and board of ed needs to step up and protect our teachers. How about Ms Bower herself?

Of course they are required to take measures to protect their staff from assault. And it absolutely appears they failed to do that although given the description I don't' know how the school was supposed to prevent this sort of attack.

The school is not required to provide paid medical leave if they have fewer than 50 employees (same for every employer in the city). They are only required to provide unpaid leave.

It's an awful case, but why is this any different than an employee of a restaurant being assaulted? Or any other workplace incident.

If you think schools are extra-special, then one solution would be to require charters to provide short-term disability policies that would cover the cost of a medical leave.

Hmmm... maybe that could be part of a negotiated settlement if this teacher does sue. Sounds like the school response (unilaterally placing the teacher on unpaid leave) was a poor choice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holy crap this is horrible.

Seriously? Charter schools are not required to protect their staff from assault on campus or provide paid leave? WTF people! "should have hired an employment lawyer" screw that the city and board of ed needs to step up and protect our teachers. How about Ms Bower herself?

Of course they are required to take measures to protect their staff from assault. And it absolutely appears they failed to do that although given the description I don't' know how the school was supposed to prevent this sort of attack.

The school is not required to provide paid medical leave if they have fewer than 50 employees (same for every employer in the city). They are only required to provide unpaid leave.

It's an awful case, but why is this any different than an employee of a restaurant being assaulted? Or any other workplace incident.

If you think schools are extra-special, then one solution would be to require charters to provide short-term disability policies that would cover the cost of a medical leave.

Good point. I do think schools are extra-special. This thread seems to have turned into a pro-charter/anti-charter debate but DCPS isn't immune to either attacks on teachers nor to deciding that paid leave won't be provided when such attacks occur. While that seems wrong to me, it doesn't seem like it is the result of whether a school is chartered or not.

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/loose-lips/blog/13132314/hard-luck-five-years-after-a-horrible-attack-teacher-francis-boldens-life-is-still-broken

Anonymous wrote:I am curious about the relationship of the "guest" who committed the assualt and the parent? are they a couple? Is this person around the child in the home or elsewhere. I think CPS also needs to be involved. Speaks volumes about any parent who would bring this type of person to a back to school night. They seem nuts and should be in jail. But the kid needs to be protected too.

The defendant was on drugs(PCP, weed and alcohol) and pled guilty. The US attorneys office and/or police always check to see if there are children exposed to people who commit these crimes.

From the Fox 5 story:

"The woman who assaulted Garbee, Andrea Brown, pleaded guilty to sexual assault. Her attorney said Brown was on PCP, marijuana and alcohol during the assault inside the school. Brown was sentenced to 30 days jail and drug treatment."

The issue here is that the employee didn't receive $3200 for the last 3 weeks of school when she didn't work. I do not understand why they didn't just pay her, regardless of what they were or weren't required to do. That is a decision the administrators or the school's board could have taken without any mandate.

I am curious about the relationship of the "guest" who committed the assualt and the parent? are they a couple? Is this person around the child in the home or elsewhere. I think CPS also needs to be involved. Speaks volumes about any parent who would bring this type of person to a back to school night. They seem nuts and should be in jail. But the kid needs to be protected too.

Charter fill a gap in a lot of ways, but even the better ones are still run with very little oversight. This teacher deserves better.

Anonymous wrote:Holy crap this is horrible.

Seriously? Charter schools are not required to protect their staff from assault on campus or provide paid leave? WTF people! "should have hired an employment lawyer" screw that the city and board of ed needs to step up and protect our teachers. How about Ms Bower herself?

Of course they are required to take measures to protect their staff from assault. And it absolutely appears they failed to do that although given the description I don't' know how the school was supposed to prevent this sort of attack.

The school is not required to provide paid medical leave if they have fewer than 50 employees (same for every employer in the city). They are only required to provide unpaid leave.

It's an awful case, but why is this any different than an employee of a restaurant being assaulted? Or any other workplace incident.

If you think schools are extra-special, then one solution would be to require charters to provide short-term disability policies that would cover the cost of a medical leave.