Judge acquits Council Bluffs teacher

[Guest guest]

Why is it not suprising that the judge acquited? Because it happens so often! It

looks like the school district is more concerned about this abuse than the judge

is.)

Judge acquits Council Bluffs teacher who restrained teen

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By STACI HUPP

A Council Bluffs teacher accused of assaulting a mentally disabled student has

been found not guilty.

A judge acquitted Donna , a 21-year teaching veteran, of child

endangerment and assault charges last week. The special-education teacher still

faces a battle with school leaders, who want to lose her job and her

teaching license.

was charged in February after teacher aides at Jefferson High

School accused her of injuring a 15-year-old student with autism. The aides said

caused the boy pain when she put him in a chokehold and pushed his head

against the floor at least twice.

Members of the State Board of Education in 2008 banned chokeholds and limited

the use of physical force and timeout rooms to handle unruly or mentally

disabled students.

In ' case, District Judge Heckerman determined two key witnesses for

the prosecution lacked credibility, attorneys said.

McGinn, an assistant Pottawattamie County attorney, said the witnesses

refused to answer questions under cross-examination. One witness also admitted

“something about wanting to ‘get’†, McGinn said.

The judge also ruled that ’ actions were reasonable becaus

e the boy had a track record of fighting his teachers. Court records do not

identify the boy or his parents.

" There was never a mark, never a doctor, " Richter, ' attorney, said

Friday. " The only injured person was Mrs. , the teacher. "

suffered minor injuries to her arm, shoulder and neck from trying to stop

the boy from banging his head in one incident and from being pushed to the floor

in another, Richter said.

(HEY, wait a minute. There was never a mark? The only injured person was Mrs.

? Didn't the student get any marks from hitting his head?)

A school district investigation found ’ use of physical restraint was

inappropriate and that she had deprived the boy of food and ordered his

classmates to write six things they didn’t like about him.

Superintendent Martha Bruckner stands by her recommendation to fire , who

has been on paid leave since last year. A school board hearing is scheduled next

month.

School leaders also filed a complaint with the state Board of Educational

Examiners.

“You don’t have to be a criminal to lose your teaching job,†Bruckner

said.

 

 

Man will ultimately be governed by God or by tyrants.

Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you.

Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

Ben lin