Beyond His Limit

While doing his job, a Michigan custodian was tormented by several middle school students. After being pushed beyond his limit, the custodian "snapped:"

SOUTH BOARDMAN — A school custodian was fired "on the spot" and may face criminal assault charges after he became involved in a physical altercation with a 13-year-old male middle school student.

"We take the safety of our students very seriously and we will not condone or accept this type of behavior," said Forest Area Community Schools Superintendent Matt Cairy. "The physical altercation was very avoidable; this was not a case of self-defense."

The altercation took place Tuesday night as four middle school students allegedly harassed the custodian while he worked in the middle school during a basketball game in the adjoining high school gym, the Kalkaska County Sheriff's Department reported.

"The kids threw pop on a carpet and then they kept sneaking up and turning his vacuum off and apparently he just lost it," Kalkaska Undersheriff Bruce Gualtiere said. "He saw them hiding in the bushes and he went and got them. It looks like he punched and kicked (the student)."

The student received some scrapes, and his mother filed a complaint with the sheriff's department.

Sheriff's officials completed their investigation and will be requesting an arrest warrant for simple assault, a misdemeanor, from the prosecuting attorney's office.

Cairy said the students involved were disciplined for their roles in the altercation.

"We have high expectations for our students, and any time there is inappropriate behavior toward faculty or staff there is discipline involved," he said.

He declined to detail the discipline.

Neither the sheriff's department nor Cairy would release the names of those involved until the suspect is arraigned. Cairy said the custodian had worked for the school less than a year.

While not excusing the custodian's lashing out at the students little thugs who were harassing him, I believe that pupils who verbally torment or otherwise prevent staff from performing their duties should be subject to suspension or expulsion.

Guessing, I would say that didn't happen in this case. --------------------------See our latest EduPosts and today's Extra Credit Reading.