A 7th Grade Melee

I recently stumbled upon this article about a high school teacher who had a parent unleash a John Rambo-like attack upon her while she was teaching. It seems that the parent was upset that her daughter was "confronted" by the teacher for being in the hallway during class time without permission.

Because of this affront to her daughter, the mother--a teacher nonetheless--decided to take matters into her own hands and seek retribution.

I see this scenario playing out like a scene from The Princess Bride:

The mother kicks the door open; the children gasp with fright as she saunters into the classroom. Coolly drawing her sword, the mother whispers, "Hello, my name is Paulette Baines. You confronted my child, prepare to die."

Not only did Baines attack the teacher, she did it while the teacher was teaching. This wasn't a "meet me in the parking lot at 3 o'clock" showdown. This attack was a Steven Seagal Out for Justice beatdown. The teacher, Mary Oliver, sustained "two broken ribs, a concussion, and damaged disks in her neck." Personally, I couldn't inflict that much injury with a theme song, a two-by-four, and a day off work.

My initial reaction was shock. Utter shock. As an English lecturer at the college level, my interaction with parents is zilch. Zero. None. I have come to appreciate the lack of parental investigation, concern, and intrusion into my teaching. However, I do wonder about the lower levels of education: K-12. There are rules and safeguards in place to protect students. But what about the teachers?

Now, I cannot speak to what occurred during the "confrontation" between Oliver and Baines' daughter, but it probably did not consist of a verbal smackdown. Most likely, Oliver was simply enforcing school policy; in other words, she was doing her job and looking out for the welfare of the student.

So, what set Baines off? What made her possibly consider going Mike Tysonish on her daughter's teacher? At what point, do we say enough? Youth coaches are constantly harangued by parents about their child/children's playing time. Referees have been both assaulted verbally and physically by parents. Parents fight in the stands with each other. All in the name of "looking out" for their children. Now, this type of behavior has entered the classroom.

So, on behalf of responsible educators, concerned individuals, and parents, I ask: What's next?