student tries to set teacher on fire, claiming she was a "witch"!

[CougarKing]

I've heard of book-burning - but teacher-burning?

Daily Tribune, Oakland County, MI, October 24, 2008:

A student accused of assaulting a teacher with water and a lighter because he believed she was a witch who needed to be purified was ordered Thursday to undergo a psychiatric examination to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.

Darin Najor, 20, of Ferndale is charged with misdemeanor assault and battery in the Sept. 11 incident at Taft Education Center, an alternative high school located at 427 Allen. Police said Najor targeted the English teacher after she had assigned "The Crucible" — an Arthur Miller play dealing with the Salem witch trials of 1692...

The assignment to read and discuss "The Crucible" eventually set Najor off, Ferndale Detective Ken Denmark said. "The teacher had been lecturing about the play and talking about the Salem witch trials in class for a while before he assaulted her."

The teacher told Najor she didn't believe in witchcraft when he questioned her the day before the alleged assault. She explained the play was a metaphor for persecution, police said.

Najor on the following day came up behind the teacher chanting what sounded like religious verses and poured a liquid over her from a Gatorade bottle, police said.

"He said she was a witch and he was trying to purify her," said Denmark, adding that Najor was also holding the barbecue lighter at the time.

Najor ran from the room and the teacher got a security guard and followed him outside where he was smoking a cigarette. Najor ran at the teacher and said he was going to burn the witch, but he was restrained by the security guard, Denmark said.

 

[PMedMoe]

Article Link

Yeah, the guy looks like he's a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

Bond $250.00, unbelievable!

 

[Zell_Dietrich]

He actually thought that pouring wholly.... hole-e ...holy water onto someone would make them burst into flames and purify them.

He threw a hissy fit because they were studying the Puritans...  what would have happened had they been studying biology or economics or physics.  (infections are caused by microorganisms - not god's wrath, supply side economics isn't the cure all and if you remove wind resistance objects to fall at the same speed)  :warstory: 

Never underestimate the power of human stupidity. 

 

[Spanky]

The Witch: I'm not a witch I'm not a witch!
Sir Bedevere: But you are dressed as one
The Witch: *They* dressed me up like this!
Crowd: We didn't! We didn't...
The Witch: And this isn't my nose. It's a false one.
Sir Bedevere: [lifts up her false nose] Well?
Peasant 1: Well, we did do the nose.
Sir Bedevere: The nose?
Peasant 1: And the hat, but she is a witch!
Crowd: Yeah! Burn her! Burn her!

 

[Zell_Dietrich]

Ha! 

 

[Bane]

Like a friend of mine says, 'there's no cure for stupid'. (Or witchery I suppose in this case) 

 

[ex-Sup]

Ah crap...so in addition to having to buy a vest in the near future, I'm going to have to buy some Nomex boxers ??? Maybe I'll just be like the Pope and teach from behind some ballistic glass; or better yet, maybe I'll get into this whole e-learning and avoid the classroom completely.

 

[the 48th regulator]

Ah crap...so in addition to having to buy a vest in the near future, I'm going to have to buy some Nomex boxers ??? Maybe I'll just be like the Pope and teach from behind some ballistic glass; or better yet, maybe I'll get into this whole e-learning and avoid the classroom completely.

How's about you knock it off?

There is absolutely no need to drag this further.

dileas

tess

 

[ex-Sup]

How's about you knock it off?
There is absolutely no need to drag this further.

A wee bit confused...please explain. Maybe it's just a Monday morning thing, but I'm not sure what you're getting at.

 

[the 48th regulator]

A wee bit confused...please explain. Maybe it's just a Monday morning thing, but I'm not sure what you're getting at.

Ah I was feeling sensitive last night, being a Papist and all.

dileas

tess

 

[ex-Sup]

Ah I was feeling sensitive last night, being a Papist and all.

Tess,

Practicing Catholic teacher in a Catholic high school...it wasn't a slight against the faith, just a tongue-in-cheek comment about not getting shot. Hope this clears the air.

Dave

 

[the 48th regulator]

Tess,

Practicing Catholic teacher in a Catholic high school...it wasn't a slight against the faith, just a tongue-in-cheek comment about not getting shot. Hope this clears the air.

Dave

I read it wrong lastnight,  once again I let my passions and a few bevvies, cloud my judgement.....

dileas

tess

 

[vonGarvin]

Burn a witch?  Gee, don't they know that the best way is to build a bridge out of her? :

 

[brihard]

"She turned me into a newt!"
"...a newt?"
"...I got better."

 

[larry Strong]

Let's see....20 years old....Alternative High School....sort of says it all

 

[Steel Badger]

If she was in KAF, we could throw her in to the ....pond!

 

[Red 6]

It's another first for America's school system! This is No Child Left Behind in action my friends!

 

[Zell_Dietrich]

It's another first for America's school system! This is No Child Left Behind in action my friends!

Ha!

No Child left behind cuts funding for schools that don't meet certain criteria in student's performance.  So if a school gets lots of 'special needs students' they shuffle them off so they aren't their responsibility.  So before you had "I have 40 kids in my class and half of them can't read, how can I teach them grade 11 English" you now have principles actively looking for ways to keep their funding - if that means punting a kid who is underperforming,  well the 30 other kids in the class deserve to keep the funding they have. ;-)

Which reminds me,  attacking teachers because you have an issue with the coursework?  Heavens don't do it with holy water,  do it with a bill! 

http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/GR/ABOR/Resources/Saga177.htm  (http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/GR/ABOR/aborstateleg.htm for a wider view)