Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

941 replies

smokepole · 28/05/2014 09:57

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).

OP posts:
mommy2ash · 28/05/2014 12:55

if he is that worried about the consequences of his actions hindering his future he shouldn't have done it in the first place.

BoneyBackJefferson · 28/05/2014 12:59

telegraph says excluded

BoneyBackJefferson · 28/05/2014 13:05

Its also interesting how the original story said that he decided to prank his head of year and now he did it because his friends "egged him on" and it was done because he had the opportunity to do it.

WhereTheWildlingsAre

From what I can tell it is the 18 yr. old that is saying that he has been permanently excluded not the head teacher.

Nocomet · 28/05/2014 13:07

The school wouldn't have called the police if he'd pied another child.

I bet the HT wasn't hurt, except for their dignity.

MiaowTheCat · 28/05/2014 13:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WhereTheWildlingsAre · 28/05/2014 13:08

The student himself describes it as permanent exclusion in a quote the Telegraph has included in that article:

"I was called in by the school after an exam where they decided to permanently exclude me; despite having already being on study leave with only my exams left to take

I suppose that, the exclusion, permanent or not, has the same upshot since he has left anyway. At our school, it would result in him not being allowed to the Grad. meal either.

WhereTheWildlingsAre · 28/05/2014 13:10

Sorry, x posted, Boney!

Nocomet · 28/05/2014 13:10

But the main problem is the the rest of the pupils will forever think the HT is a humourless arse. Who relies in fear and the police rather than humour and skill to keep discipline. That is not good.

BoneyBackJefferson · 28/05/2014 13:12

Nocomet

Probably because the other pupil would have smacked him in the face. causing major issues when calling in the police. (FYI, I have known schools call in the police so you really don't know)

But what we are talking about here is someone who is not allowed to react in any way other than taking it higher up the chain.

dawndonnaagain · 28/05/2014 13:13

Nocomet Actually, the pupils will realise that it is an offence to assault a teacher and the headteacher is serious about it. It has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with keeping discipline with humour or skill. An assault is an assualt and should be reported to the police. If this had happened in a pub, on the street, in a shop, it would be reported to the police.

LizzieVereker · 28/05/2014 13:13

I don't care what the plate was made of, ever been accidentally bashed on the nose? It hurts. Shaving foam in the eyes? It hurts, and affects your vision for a good while. He doesn't do it gently, either. It's assault.

It's clearly premeditated, because the camera has been set up to capture the "hilarious" moment when this fully grown adult assaults his teacher in public. Such malice and arrogance. I agree with PPs, in no other job would this be normalised.

And Jason Manford has just confirmed my suspicions that he's an utter, utter wanker.

mrsborat · 28/05/2014 13:16

Wow some people are trying to say he smashed a china plate on her face. What buffoons.

OwlCapone · 28/05/2014 13:17

But the main problem is the the rest of the pupils will forever think the HT is a humourless arse.

No, they will think he does not accept people being assaulted on school premises.

As he said "Like many schools, we like to mark the end of Year 13 and students have, from time to time, enjoyed clever, tasteful and original pranks that have neither harmed nor humiliated any individuals in the school."

Does that sound like the words of a humourless arse?

If you find assaulting someone humorous, that says a lot about your principles.

Aspiringhuman · 28/05/2014 13:17

"No sense of humour" typical defence of a bully Angry.

The school have not damaged his future, he did it to himself by his actions. Really no wonder society has degenerated so much when people try to argue that assault victims should laugh it off.

I'll try and remember to laugh the next time I'm assaulted at work. It's hard work not to cry because it hurts. I hope those arguing the teacher will do the same if they're ever the victim of assault, oops sorry a prank
Remember get back up laugh, pretend you're not in pain and remember to laugh when you're assault goes viral. Whatever you do, don't complain, especially not to the police you might damage your attackers life after all.

annielouise · 28/05/2014 13:18

I don't agree with he's done, he's a complete idiot, but it's definitely a paper plate. Look at the video, when the filming goes to the floor as he hits her in the face with it just before that there is nothing on the floor to the right of her left leg, as the video comes up again the paper plate is on the floor next to her left leg (right hand side of the film). Four seconds after she's hit you hear the plastic thing hit the floor and it comes from the direction of inside. You do not think the school would have said if it had been something harder than paper? Do you not think she might have sustained more injuries than reported and the police done more? Please use some common sense people.

There's obviously a lot of bad feeling between them and he thought he'd get one up on her but it backfired on him massively. If they got on and had a respectful relationship I'm sure he'd never have done it or she might have put it down to stupidity but not reported it and might have indeed laugh it off while still not being happy about it.

OwlCapone · 28/05/2014 13:20

The school wouldn't have called the police if he'd pied another child.

You don't know that do you? Also, the parents could have called the police had they wished. I imagine that the teacher wished to pursue the assault accusation and it was her choice. Had she not wished to do to, perhaps the police wouldn't have been called.

I bet the HT wasn't hurt, except for their dignity.

The HT wasn't hurt at all as he was not the one being assaulted.

Bettercallsaul1 · 28/05/2014 13:21

If this was something completely unacceptable - as most of us agree it was - why should the boy have got off with it simply because it was his last day at school? The intended repercussions for the teacher - humiliation and loss of authority - were the same whichever day he chose.

He deliberately chose his last day to do it as he thought there would be no consequences for himself -cowardly and arrogant behaviour. I am delighted he didn't get off with it, and that the incident was treated as the assault it was -our teachers have enough to put up with without this kind of gratuitous thuggery.

landrover · 28/05/2014 13:24

By all accounts, the school encourages pranks to be played on teachers on the last day!!!! I think the school should take some of the blame!

spanieleyes · 28/05/2014 13:27

Pranks are chairs moved so everyone is facing the wrong way, or a pencil stuck to the table so it can't be picked up. Assault is being hit in the face.
There is a difference.

Daisymasie · 28/05/2014 13:31

Nocomet if the head had met this with 'good humour' he would have been sending a message to younger students that this behaviour is acceptable on the last day of term - that's how things end up getting out of hand.
Here in Ireland last day of school antics had got to the stage where pupils were being stripped and tied to trees. No doubt it all started with small pranks but if a HT doesn't draw the line at some stage and make it clear to students that while a certain amount of levity will be tolerated, but there are still boundaries that can't be crossed, things just escalate.

The student was a brat and he's learning a valuable lesson.

GoblinLittleOwl · 28/05/2014 13:41

And what would have happened if a teacher had done the same thing to him? Child abuse. Not funny at all. Glad they have expelled him.

Igggi · 28/05/2014 13:48

here's obviously a lot of bad feeling between them
Well there will be now! We have no idea what the teacher felt about the student. We know what he thought as he's been in the paper. A teacher seen as giving a student a hard time may in fact be desperately trying to get them through their coursework, wanting them to achieve potential etc.

OwlCapone · 28/05/2014 13:56

And what would have happened if a teacher had done the same thing to him?

I imagine they would have lost their job, destroyed their career and probably been reported to the police for assault. So, rather like what this pupil is complaining about!

Daisymasie · 28/05/2014 14:01

Can you imagine if, on your last day in a job, you just went in to some manager you'd never liked and threw a cream pie in his face. Not only would you be escorted off the premises, but you would never ever get a reference from that company (and would possibly never get work in the same sector again if word got around).

This arrogant knob of a pupil is just getting a taste of what life is like out in the real world that he will soon be joining.

AICM · 28/05/2014 14:02

OwlCapone
You're right the teacher would have had all those things happen to her. So why not to him?

Swipe left for the next trending thread