To think the School overreacted in Expelling Pupil and calling Police for a stunt,when a "bollocking would have been enough".

[smokepole]

Jacob Dowdle, a year 13 Pupil at Altrincham Grammar school on the last day of term May 16, put a paper plate with whipped cream in to his year heads face.

This was a very "Stupid" thing to do, but no harm was meant or injury caused yet the school called the Police and summary expelled him. The teacher was seeking a prosecution for the stunt, when she was not injured The teacher although upset , should have had the grace to except that it was a poor stunt , ( or like most teachers on the last day taken it on the chin as overexcited students behaviour).

No, I do not see that common sense has 'gone out of the window'. I see an assault reported, as it should have been.

Absolutely agree with Andreas. The teacher was assaulted in the work place. Appalling behaviour.

Smokepole are you the perpetrator?! Wtaf otherwise

Heraldgerald I think the OP is Lawrence Jones

"The reason Lawence Jones from one of the fastest growing IT companies has offered Jacob a job is because he is a "Risk Taker" and with "self control" natural risk takers ( people who are prepared to go outside the box can be great successes)."

smokepole

"It is quite obvious that Mrs Barrett, did not have the same appreciation or respect of students as other teachers at the school."

Victim blaming

"It does appear that if this had happened at another school, or other teacher, the incident would not have reached this stage."

You don't know that, in fact I can safely state that I this happened to me I would have gone down the same route.

"the school should have given Jacob/friends an opportunity to do so and try to overt the media frenzy that has occurred ."

The only person to escalate the situation is jacob.

"The reason Lawence Jones from one of the fastest growing IT companies has offered Jacob a job is because he is a "Risk Taker" and with "self control" natural risk takers ( people who are prepared to go outside the box can be great successes)."

No he is media jumping in order to gain publicity from this event.

"I think we can all see that common sense has gone out of the window from all concerned,"

That is your opinion.

"this lack of thought will have the result of making Jacob the "Hero" and "Martyr" to his fellow pupils for "Pieing" a unpopular teacher."

Victim blaming again you don't know that she is unpopular.

In the end smokepole you are just making excuses for the boy.

OP you have been "dunked" at work as part of some ridiculous infantile ritual,that makes you think you are part of the team. The teacher in question was hit in the face unprovoked as she walked through a door. However you want to dress it up you are wrong. In the school I work in most pupils would think him a disrespectful idiot - but I work in a standard comp and not a selective grammar school? Maybe that's the difference ...

I'm willing to bet she's only unpopular with this twerp and his crowd of hangers on. I'm sure other teachers on here will recognise what happens with the 'I'm a badass' crowd as they get towards the end of their school careers. The other kids start to pity them and distance themselves as they realise just how sad they are.

I think we can all see that common sense has gone out of the window from all concerned

Are you taking the piss?

So you're his Mum Smokepole? A ' risk taker' might invent something crazy, climb Everest, stand up for a unpopular cause, tight rope walk across the Grand Canyon etc etc. Jacob clearly has no respect for other people, or, understanding of consequences. Actually, scratch that, he is learning that being an arrogant twat reaps rewards. Good luck to his future wife.

OP - it's a disgrace that you are following this little thug's lead and victim-blaming. What has her popularity or sense of humour got to do with it? Are you suggesting that she deserved to be assaulted? Because it is abundantly clear she was; he didn't 'throw' a pie at her, he smashed it into her face and ran off.

If Lawrence Jones (nice plug for the company there, OP) wishes to give young people the chance to turn their lives around, there are far more deserving candidates than this young man, who has had plenty of privilege already. And if this is the hiring criteria at this company - that assaulting women, then trying to claim that everyone is over-reacting and that it is the woman's fault and furthermore, trying to claim victim status by saying the person you assaulted is trying to 'ruin' your 'life' - then I (and many other people) will assume that this company is staffed by entitled abusers and avoid it like the plague.

Well said andreas

smokepole I don't see how common sense went out of the window, what that young man did was spiteful, humiliating, and thuggish behaviour.

Have you read what all the other teachers have had to put up with from their students? Maybe it's about time all schools showed students especially older students that their 'pranks' will not be accepted and punishment will fit with their age and actions.

vind I think you have hit the nail on the head there

boney hits many a nail on the head there

"he is learning that being an arrogant twat reaps rewards."

We can only hope that he does. I suspect that lawence will "save" him.

Sorry, Should be that we can only hope that he learns from this, I suspect that lawence will "save" him.

Lawrence Jones is just after publicity ....

OP - it sounds as if you are connected to this immature thug.
SO you didn't mind getting dunked in a pool? What has that got to do with anything? this assault did not happen to you, so how you would feel about it is irrelevant.
It is not obvious that the teacher did not have the "same appreciation or respect" from the pupils as other teachers. What is obvious is that Jacob is a twat who enjoyed assaulting her and sees nothing wrong in his actions.
You have no empirical evidence to back up your claim that other schools would not have acted in exactly the same way, given that the teacher (probably with the full backing of her union and colleagues) wished to press charges.
Don't try to push the blame onto other people. Although as Jacob is a prat in all probability his friends are total knobs too. the "media frenzy" was started by this oafish prick and he is revelling in it and escalating it.
Anyone who employs this git is asking for trouble. He has no respect for women or people in authority over him and has no understanding of the consequences of his actions. he has no self-control, no empathy and his lack of awareness suggests impaired thinking.

Jacob is a waste of space. He should reap the consequences of his actions and develop a little humility. A schoolboy assaults a teacher, is rightly punished for doing so and then tries to spin a line that he is the one who is suffering and it's all so unfair??? Anyone who believes that needs to sit down and breath deeply, because they must be suffering from oxygen deprivation.

I think we can all see that common sense has gone out the window

Yes, you're right. Most people who have posted are totally in agreement with you there.

No, wait...

There is a huge difference between being a risk taker and being a misogynous arse with a sense of entitlement bigger than the milky way. It is a hell of a risk taking a job with someone who is using you for publicity though. Wonder how long he will last. I can't imagine many of the grown ups at the IT company being over the moon that they have to put up with the wee shit. He'll be old chip paper and outlived his usefulness long before the exams are over and then what reason will Lawrence Jones have to hang onto him? Although you would think he would lose business over it anyway, I guess all publicity really is good publicity.

vind surely Lawrence Jones would know how to spell 'sought', even if he does think that hitting people in the face is just dandy. So long as they are women. And you can get away with it by claiming they are not popular and ruining your life when any consequences roll around.

Interesting to see all the usual attitudes are in place:

My friends egged me on and I just did it ... Accepts no responsibility for choice
We’re not the best of friends ... Not necessary; may also suggest previous misbehaviour
She’s just not got a sense of humour when it comes to me ... So it's all her fault, of course
This will ruin my chances ... It's all about MEEE!!!
Claims someone else did similar and got away with it ... Even IF true, that makes it okay??
Believes a humiliating net campaign will change minds ... Expects to avoid consequences

Especially intriguing that this should happen at a time when staff hardly dare touch pupils for fear of accusations - though I imagine we all know how he'd have reacted, had a teacher assaulted him??

It would appear that Lawrence Jones is a family friend of the Dowdles judging by his tweets about Pie Boy's dad.

He also plays chess with Richard Branson, lunches with John Major and speaks entirely in bum-clenching business speak judging by his FB page.

I think destiny brought these two together.

What a seriously tawdry state of affairs this is- all the decent kids out there who would gnaw off their own arms to be given a chance and then this boy commits a crime and is rewarded for it!

OP what else do you think an 'unpopular' teacher deserve when even a 'popular' teacher can be attacked with a knife and killed?
Or do you think all teachers deserve to be humiliated, abused and even assaulted for trying to educate children? Called 'bitches' (even by the odd poster on mumsnet ffs!)

OP: you, the boy and his friends and family, and the Wally who offered him a job, should have a serious rethink about your attitudes.