School suspension - reasonable or not?

[EvaB0710]

I need a balanced opinion on a suspension - can't decide if I am being unreasonable or school is!
Teenage boys prior to school accidentally spill hair gel on a ramp. Try to wipe it with feet but as they do realise it is slippy, which they find hilarious so put some more on top so they can slide on it (but not a lot, it was only a 100ml tube to start with and still more than half full!).
Shortly prior to lessons, other pupils arrive and also slide on it but grab the rail and none fall over. They find this amusing too.
They leave and go to lessons, firmly in the belief that it would dry very quickly.
Fastforward and it didn't dry. At all. Not one bit. A number of other pupils slipped on it and a few hours later a teacher, who was also carrying books and a coffee so couldn't grab the rail, went flying. To the point they apparently needed to go to hospital, I don't doubt they did go to hospital but my suspicious brain wonders if they wanted a few hours out of work etc (maybe unfair of me!). No serious injury, some bruising to knee but apparently needs a few days off to 'recover'.

All only came to light when the teacher slipped, they watched back CCTV and saw the boys. Immediately suspended for afternoon, with a further one day suspension.

If I'm honest, I feel suspension is a step too far. Yes it was an avoidable accident and yes they deliberately put the gel down.
BUT they never intended anyone to get hurt or slip over, just slide/ skid a little.
The school's main issue seems to be that they didn't tell anyone to get it cleaned it and left it in a dangerous state.
They didn't see it as dangerous - they have only witnessed people slide on it, not fall etc AND they thought it would dry quickly/ go away. I mean tbh, who would not think that hair gel which usually sets rock hard would not dry quickly. And their teenage boys. Who incidentally were immediately remorseful and devastated they had caused injury to someone.

Is suspension for 1.5 days proportionate or are school being unreasonable?

What a terrible reaction you have. Of course they should be suspended. Teach your children to respect teachers and learn to yourself too,

But that is beside the point. People who joyride, drive under the influence, trip others up for fun or otherwise mess around to excess never mean to hurt others, but unfortunately their actions, even in “fun”, can have serious consequences. You have no idea whether the teacher who fell or other pupils may have underlying medical issues which a fall could easily worsen or just cause a new injury. If I fell like that it is likely I’d probably fracture something. 1.5 days exclusion seems light and you should not minimise it, SEN or not.

Your attitude stinks.
I bet your one of THOSE mums that if someone comes to your door to complain about your dc you send them away with a flea in their ear.

They intentionally applied a slippery lubricant to a ramp used by other pupils and staff, saw the consequences, then left it in place whilst they sauntered off and left a staff member to HAVE TO GO TO HOSPITAL due to injuries, and school are now a staff member down and will incur the cost of a supply teacher, not to mention the teacher may not be able to do their usual activities / hobbies for a good while (goodbye ParkRun, any sports events etc).

You sound like you’ve swallowed the minimising bullshit of your teen: hook, line & sinker - you’re either gullible, deluded, or make a habit of opposing authority and questioning their judgement.

• Stop being an apologist for the poor behaviour of your DC.

• Stop undermining school’s decisions.

• Stop being snide and unpleasant about the poor teacher who spent an afternoon/evening in A&E away from their own family commitments due to the stupidity and recklessness of your son.

HTH 🤦🏼‍♀️

Surely anyone watching people slipping on a ramp (and laughing) must realise that someone might fall and be injured???
Isn't that why it's funny? People slipping and falling?

The punishment is just about adequate-not excessive and I also agree it could be longer.

Actions have consequences.
You are doing your son a great disservice by minimising and dismissing his actions.
Much more would be learned by taking the punishment on the chin-and that goes for both your DS and you.

Honestly I despair at people like @EvaB0710 who can't accept any wrong doing by their DC and make excuses instead of teaching accountability and consequences.

What a ridiculous thing to say? They have had a 'diagnosis' by 'trained medical people' which is 'there is no serious injury and some minor bruising to knee'

Very very terrible attitude!. Excusing everything her child did. Sounds like she gives no consequences. I dread to think how he will turn out!

Absolutely justified, I’m surprised it was only 1.5 days. Someone could have been seriously injured. Amazing how the boys suddenly have insight now but didn’t have any to begin with. Hopefully the punishment will reinforce the seriousness and stupidity of what they’ve done and they’ll not do it again.

I wonder why people start threads asking for opinions and then refuse to take any of those opinions onboard.

Maybe they didn't intend for anyone to be injured. But they deliberately (for their amusement?) allowed people to lose their balance without warning them it would happen (which is pretty mean), and so the potential for injury was really explicit.
So yes, suspension is reasonable and appropriate because it was dangerous behaviour.

Jesus Christ! That poor teacher. Because of your son’s actions they could have ended up really seriously injured, like a broken leg or even a spinal injury. Those types of injuries can cause lifelong problems. And why have you jumped to the conclusion that the teacher was skiving FGS.

My daughter has a condition where she has poor balance, if she’d attempted that ramp she would have ended up with a really serious injury- probably in hospital for a decent period and or needing complex surgery.

It doesn’t matter whether your son intended to hurt someone, he should have had the sense not to do this in the first place (who the fuck thinks this is normal behaviour) or at least tell a member of staff afterwards who could have told cleaning staff. He thought it would dry- bollocks! He just didn’t want to get into trouble.

I cannot believe that you think it’s too harsh and that you’re complaining here. Use your energy to stop your son behaving like a moron!

I think they got off lightly considering they purposefully did something dangerous and laughed about people getting hurt/being embarrassed

As a teacher (on my day off, before you make a snarky comment about me posting in the day!) - parents with your appalling attitude are one of the main reasons secondary schools are in the state that they are!

A suspension is COMPLETELY justified in this situation, and as a parent you should be 100% backing the school and addressing it seriously with your child. Their behaviour led to injures, and they are old enough to know better. If they did that in a public place like a shopping centre and caused an injury, it would have been a police matter!

Your suggestion that the teacher was exaggerating her injuries and just fancied some time off lost you any sympathy from me and probably a lot of other people. It's not for you to suggest that.

Your son will never learn that actions have consequences if you as a parent defend him from the consequences of his actions.

What does moron mean?

It was never their intention for anyone to get injured in the slightest and were mortified that someone did.

Can you hear yourself? Giving them every benefit of the doubt, while your reaction to the teacher going to hospital is that they probably wanted a skive. You are so incredibly biased and wrong here and you need to accept that.

They thought it would dry as soon as they left. It's quite frankly bizarre that it didn't.

It's not bizarre at all and being dim is not a defence. They did something stupid and someone got hurt. It's their fault. They need to take responsibility and you need to set that example by stop making excuses.

No one goes to minor injuries just for a bit of bruising on a knee though do they? So presumably the teacher was in a lot of pain. This situation could have been so much worse. Unbelievable attitude.

Absolutely right to suspend - if they’re 12 and think that’s ok or funny, SEN or not, that’s on you as parents tbf. To then not someone what you’ve done… if you aren’t teaching them about safety and boundaries, school very very rightly will. Stand down, dont take your sons side at home and use it as an opportunity to teach

OP someone could have seriously injured themselves e.g. fractures etc. They are lucky to only have a suspension for that.

BTW. If you have ever fallen on your coccyx then you will know about it. I did years ago, on an icy path, its never really been right since.

You're being unreasonable to imply that the teacher might have wanted to take some time off work by going to hospital. Sitting in A&E really isn't a nice experience, and nor is having the worry of having an injury that needs to be checked out. Plus, believe it or not, most teaching staff actually care about their job and don't like to let their students down by not being there for them.

Unable to take any accountability for his actions at the very least!

The trouble is, “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone” is the sort of thing lots of people say when a moment’s thought would have revealed a high chance of hurting someone. Drink drivers, for example. That dude who whacked a copper with a sledgehammer. Being sorry after you have, in fact, hurt or killed someone by acting stupidly without thought doesn’t help that person.

The suspension here is a justified punishment and it’s also indicative to others that these sorts of actions have consequences. Sometimes you FA and also FO.

Doubtless you feel defensive because it was your kid who was involved, but take a moment to consider how the incident looks to other kids at the school, and the staff, and particularly the teacher who was injured. They need to see a punishment, a consequence.

And you know this exact medical wording how?
You sound like one of those uneducated people who think if something doesn’t involve a fractured bone it’s “nothing”.
Bruised ligaments, especially around the patella, can take weeks if not months to heal.

Save your ignorance and conjecture for the behaviour of your DS.

A badly bruised knee sounds horribly painful. Has your son apologised to the teacher?

This is absolutely piss-poor parenting and it sounds like your boundaries of behaviour are well off. No wonder your son has no sense.

This has to be ironic, surely?