Boy breaks grandmother's arm by accident

[Nimbostratus100]

I am not going to say what happened next and what I think until I have heard a few objective opinions on here

The facts of the case

12 year old boy in sports club, leaving the main entrance on his skateboard, which he has been told is not allowed in the building, knocks over the grandmother coming to collect another child. The grandmother has a broken arm and needed an operation

This is a fairly elite sports club, you need to be able to play to a certain standard to by allowed to join. This boy has played there for a year. No serious trouble, several minor reprimands. Reasonably good player. Turns up for the team probably 80-90% of the time.

This happened last weekend. The sports club is meeting tomorrow. The parents have just heard that this boy has/has not been expelled and will/will not be there.

What do you think should happen? why?

I am allocating the voting by a toss of a coin to be random!

YABU - the boy should be expelled
YANBU - the boy should not be expelled

also, what else should happen, as well as/ instead of being expelled?

Thank you

If we’re just making stuff up, I’ll randomly suggest the child is black and the would-be protestors are all BNP members.

In reality, the cancel-culture inclined in this thread would also want to ban the boy, and they have no facts other than those presented by the OP. Some people are just like that, these days.

He has been punished by the people in charge.
I don't support vigilante action. The parents need to trust the staff.
Therefore regardless of my opinion I think the parents should not protest.

Good point. After all, it's a sports club where they would be penalised on the pitch for disagreeing with the decision of the ref. Why is it OK for them to disagree with the decision of the club authorities? Especially when it's intermixed with a distinct whiff of lynch mob behaviour directed at a child.

And the club, who have a safe guarding obligation towards the child, need to nip the protest in the bud.

The matter has been dealt with and a group of adults publicly harassing a child would be appalling behaviour.

I agree with this.

The club may have no choice but no expel him due to insurance or potential litigation.

I would think at the very least, suspension for a set time, some kind of work to support the he injured.

Actions have consequences. He now knows why that rule is in place and has to accept the appropriate consequence.

Can I applaud you, OP, for being a caring member of this sporting community. I'm quite gobsmacked at some of the responses here about a child. I hope they have a more positive attitude towards their own kids...

And the club, who have a safe guarding obligation towards the child, need to nip the protest in the bud
OP said the parents were protesting she didn’t say it was towards the child, it may well be towards the staff who haven’t taken this incident seriously enough. OP May not see this child’s behaviour towards other kids - he may well be upsetting more people than OP realizes.

Yes this is sensible - it’s just like how when a child runs in the corridors at school, against the rules, they are immediately expelled to protect the school from liability.

I doubt that @Sugarfree23 is assuming anything, it's the rather obvious interpretation of the information we have been given that "they don't attend or support him".

How many supportive parents of children with a particular interest or talent never turn up to support them?

Yet again, you are attributing statements to people you disagree with that they haven't made. I can't see @Sugarfree23 or anyone else saying this excuses what this boy did. The post you are responding to simply says that a ban is too extreme.

Virtually every teenage boy caught up in his sport argues with the ref occasionally, indeed plenty of adult professional sports players do. On one occasion this one didn't do what he was told in the building. We're told there have been no other similar incidents in the period since he joined the club. That does not amount to proof of unwillingness to accept authority.

She could sue the child himself, but any reparation wouldn’t be payable until he turns 18

Not strictly true. The problem is not his age but the fact that he is unlikely to have any money with which to satisfy any judgment.

No win no fee solicitors don't take on cases unless there is a decent chance of actually recovering some money.

Antagonist: Grandmother. Still working, so in her sixties but looks closer to 70. Suffers broken arm

the lady is not an antagonist.

she is neither “a person who is opposed to, struggles against, or competes with another; opponent; adversary” nor is she
“the adversary of the hero or protagonist of a drama or other literary work”

most people do not have to retire at a set age, so you cannot determine her age based on this.

she suffered a serious break to her arm that required surgery.

she is the victim here.

you are arguing from a perspective clouded by unconscious bias

the fact you describe the victim as the antagonist shows your bias very clearly.

It was an older woman, but it could had been anyone else in his way. The crash was result of his intentional action.

I would expect some active punishment (costing him time) and safety management for the future (conditional expulsion - with clear part of the condition being not stepping on the skateboard ever again on the premises).

What on earth do you base that on? OP has said he's never been in trouble for misbehaviour in the club off the pitch, this seems to have been a one-off incident and there is no suggestion that he "persists" in ignoring safety rules.

I don't know how many 12 year olds you know, but they most certainly should know not to do something they've been told not to do. 6 year olds maybe, but 12 year olds need to be held accountable. He was told clearly not to do it, but did so anyway. When does personal responsibility kick in ?

Oh I don't mind the explusion, that post was aimed at the poster who said the protestors themselves should be banned from the club if members themselves.

Obviously it's an accident. No-one is suggesting that he aimed the skateboard at the woman with the intention of knocking her over.

Yes, it's at the reckless end of the scale, and yes, it should attract a penalty. But it's still an accident.

they would sue the sport centre who legally must have public liability insurance. Probably win as they are responsible for the safety of the public on their property. Easiest target rather than the child or his parents. Probably why he's been expelled. Its going to be expensive.

Assuming this happened in the UK, there is no legal requirement for public liability insurance.

On the facts presented, a claim would be unlikely to be successful. Even if it were, a claim for a broken arm is unlikely to be very costly or have a significant impact on the premiums of any insurance policy in place.

And the child has not been expelled.

Otherwise, great post.

Short suspension with skateboard ban and final warning if I was in charge

I don't think he should be expelled altogether, but I do think there should be consequences. Firstly a ban on him bringing his skateboard to the club - he can't follow the rules around using it, so should forfeit the ability to flout the rules. I think he should also write a letter to the person he hurt, expressing remorse and offering to do whatever he can to help (maybe get her shopping, tidy her garden etc).

I agree that sport can be really important in giving young people focus and keeping their energies channelled in a positive way. If his family don't offer him much positivity, the club may make the difference between him turning out OK or getting sucked into negative activities. This wouldn't just impact on him but the general community.

His attendance rate is another matter. I'd expect 95% attendance to be required if a team sport.

It is unlikely from her posts that OP is so close to the parents to know what they do and do not support in their child’s life, or if their working lives mean they cannot attend. Many parents are struggling in low paid jobs, juggling their schedules and family priorities and some things simply can’t be accommodated if there is to be food on the table and heat in the house.

why are you so determined to paint them in the worst possible light as uncaring parents?

I did some training on unconscious bias recently

did you notice that in all your examples the actors you chose are white?

Virtually every teenage boy caught up in his sport argues with the ref occasionally

he isn’t a teenager

in one year he has argued with the referee “several times” - not occasionally.
thats something no decent club would have any truck with.