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?

I’m amazed it was only 1 1/2 days!
First of all, how did he ‘accidentally’ get hair gel on a ramp? Then why did he think it would be hilarious to put more gel on the ramp when he knew how slippy it would become? Finally, why do you seem to think the teacher who is injured is exaggerating their injury? As a teacher myself, if a student did something purposely knowing someone could get hurt, and I ended up being the one hurt, I’d be fuming. A colleague of mine slipped on a wet floor that hadn’t been properly dried, she broke her leg, needed surgery to pin it and was off school for almost 6 months. She still walks with a limp.
You have minimised the whole incident.

I’m afraid that our attitudes are very different.

In your shoes, I would be expecting my child to write a letter of apology to the injured person and use their pocket money to buy
them flowers / a gift. Probably also a letter of apology to the janitorial team or anyone else who had to clear it up.

My child would be left in no doubt about the stupidity and carelessness of their actions and how predictable and bad it is that someone was hurt through their actions. You do know that the law would say that ‘you take your victim as you find them’ so if it had been a very elderly person or a female teacher with osteoporosis, your child would have been liable for however severe the injury.

I'm a full time wheelchair user already.

People who speed don't intend to crash and injure people, but it happens. Should they not be punished?

They knew it was slippy, they left it, didn't tell anyone and someone got injured.

The punishment is entirely justified.

And STILL can't see that your son's punishment was justified?! I'm disgusted by your excuses and aggressive attitude.

And? This isn’t a race to the bottom.

I call BS.

Intentional or not 1.5 days is a very lenient punishment for creating a hazardous surface on purpose.

@EvaB0710 think about it. They made it slippery, they spread the gel enough to slide on it.... then they left it! They are teenagers and have to learn that actions have consequences. In this case their fun caused someone else harm. Use this to teach your son to think beyond his own nose!

Yes, it's all got so ridiculous that I'm wondering if this is the daily wind-up thread.

And? Was it because of an incident like this? If not, then it's you who's missing that poster's point.

And if it was because of an incident like this, then it's extra strange how flippant you are about their actions and the consequences. But for those kids putting the gel there, the fall wouldn't have happened. It's entirely their fault, intentional or not. And tbh you can't possibly know what's in their heads and are clearly extremely biased for them and against the teacher so are unreliable at best.

If you spill something, you clear it up. Simple. You don't stand and laugh while other people almost slip on it and then walk off. If you spilled hair gel on your floor at home would you just leave it, assuming it would dry? No, you'd clean it up because it would be a sticky mess. It's not water.

Your son has done something wrong and now he has to face the consequences. At best he's been lazy/silly but either way he did something wrong, created a mess that someone else had to clean up on his behalf, and caused someone an injury. I'm glad the teacher is ok now.

Do your son a favour and support the school rather than try to pick holes and make accusations about their judgement or the teacher's integrity.

Are you someone who goes to A&E to get out of doing things OP? Because that's a really bizarre leap to make from someone having an unexpected fall to them wagging off work. Your attitude sucks - and I can only imagine what other parents at school think about you and your offspring.

Isn’t “I didn’t mean to hurt her” what that Palestine action activist said when he took a sledgehammer to a police officer a few months ago? She had to have 3 months off work and can’t dress herself. Not an excuse for him either. He was convicted of GBH and is currently in custody awaiting sentencing.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c75kp15xz4yo

exact medical wording?

Accidentally spill hair gel
Try to wipe it with their feet and realise it's slippy - decide that's a ha ha moment.

At that point they should have reported it because they couldn't make the area safe, but no,
They spilled more on purpose to watch others slip for more ha ha's
Go to lessons and and a teacher is injured due to a significant and wilful act of negligence for the sake of shits and giggles.

A 1.5 day suspension is fully justified amd lenient in the circumstances.

@EvaB0710 the only course of action available to you is to write a proper letyer of apology to the injured teacher and send ot with a bunch of flowers.

I bet I wouldn't be wrong if I ventured none of the boys have an unblemished record.

It's a shame schools can no longer expel.

Poor head. Poor teacher. Thoroughly unpleasant bunch of miscreants for whom the cane would have been justified a few generations ago.

Yes, op is making this up, to get da mumz riled. Of course, if this were true, it would be nuanced. Kids didn’t act with intent to hurt. Kids have varying degrees of SN. But at the same time, they did something really bloody stupid, and they need to be taught a lesson. That stupid actions have unpleasant consequences.

OP, if you are a parent, and not a year 11 on gcse study leave, and if you are actually telling a true story and are also a wheelchair user who knows how important ramps are, then back up the school here op. Don’t start trying to excuse your kid, or tell him he’s been punished unfairly.

Yeah this all sounds so stupid, I don’t think it can possibly be true.

I’m starting to think that OP is telling tales. Winding everyone up with a super obvious ‘is my awfully behaved son in the wrong for his dangerous actions?’. Then we find out that he has SEN. The OP apparently doesn’t know what the word ‘moron’ means. Then we find out that the OP is apparently in a wheelchair…

I’m dipping out of this thread now.

Well silt then you wouldn’t want anyone else to end up in a wheelchair as the result of the actions of your son, regardless of his SEN @EvaB0710 ?

Yes. You quoted what you say was the specific diagnosis & advice from A&E.

I’m wondering how you were appraised of this knowledge. As was clear by my post.

This.

A ‘full-time wheelchair user’ who can’t see the importance of RAMPS not being dangerous

😹

OP - as you are (apparently) a full-time wheelchair user, it’s very surprising that you take such a flippant approach to the safety of RAMPS.

🤪

Get back to your Y11 revision now, you’ve had your fun.

No teacher I have ever come across, would wish to be injured to get a few hours out of school. That comment could be construed as libellous and you should be ashamed.

A group of boys have taken foolish and potentially dangerous actions on school premises, which have resulted in injury to a member of staff, as well as disruption and damage and you think a one and a half day suspension is too harsh.

I think you should seriously remind your child that actions have consequences and when he makes poor choices he will suffer the consequences.

Wow ! Completely down playing the whole incident here.It was a prank gone wrong yes .There was no malice intended by the boys .However saying a bruised knee and having to go to hospital was a ruse to get time off by the teacher! WTF have a word with yourself .1.5 days is not long.Hopefully long enough for them to realise their mistake and its not funny for anyone slipping over

It wasn't really a prank gone wrong though, was it? And there was malice intended - they wanted people to slip! They are old enough to know that people slipping on a ramp is going to end with someone getting hurt - that was their intention

How do you 'accidentally' spill enough hair gel on a ramp, in front of you (presumably whilst walking?) so that you slide in it anyway?

I agree with others @EvaB0710 – suspension totally justified.

Zero awareness that it could cause injury? Something slippery? 12yo boys? Of course they would know it could cause injury. In the same way that a frozen pavement can cause someone to slip and fall. A primary school aged child knows that. Especially when they saw people slipping.

And yes, presumably the ramp is intended to help those with less mobility. Like my DD who sometimes uses crutches. If the ramp is slippy that’s obviously a hazard.

I also agree with those who are shocked at your comment about the teacher who fell. It’s very alarming to fall while carrying books and a drink – lose your footing and everything goes everywhere. I have done it tho thankfully without any serious injuries. I cannot believe you think they were just trying to get out of their Friday lessons – and putting recover in quotes suggests you don’t think there is any need. How nasty and disrespectful.

ETA: I have read more of the thread and I wonder if it is a wind-up. Drip feed that the boys have SEN, that the OP uses a wheelchair (all the more reason to be aware tbh), that they don't know the meaning of xyz expression?