Girl Arrested for Doodling Sues New York City

Girl Arrested for Doodling Sues New York City

www.aolnews.com

(April 3) -- When 12-year-old Alexa Gonzalez was caught doodling on her desk at Junior High School 190 in Queens, New York, she expected detention and an afternoon on desk-cleaning duty. Instead, she was arrested, led out of her school in handcuffs and detained at a local police precinct for hours, she said.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Sometimes I wonder if the world has lost all common sense...
What were the officers that made the arrest thinking? I mean really?

At most the girl have got dentention. Instead they put a 12-year-old child through a ridiculous ordeal for writing on the desk (which by the way is something most of us have done at one point) in an erasable marker no less! Now NYC is going to have to pay up, probably not a millions bucks but something big.


What do you guys think of the story?

www.aolnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I saw this earlier on another site, but I couldn't find it to post it.
Good eye, mate.

Back to the subject matter, this irks me beyond all comprehensible reasoning.
I hope that girl and here family get that 1M that they're suing for, plus some extra.

Moreover, I want that cash to come directly from the arresting officers wallet, savings account, future paychecks (if the pigs get to keep their jobs after this debacle)
Is it time to start teaching our kids to abhor the current government and all its operatives, be they common beat cops or senators?

I think so.


:EDIT: How do you tell if a cop is lying?

His lips are moving.

[edit on 4/3/10 by TokiTheDestroyer]

Okay, this is pretty bad.

"Gonzalez describes the ordeal as traumatizing and excessive, saying that after her Spanish teacher caught her doodling on her desk with erasable green marker, she was "physically dragged by a teacher and an assistant principal" to the dean's office, where school safety officials searched her by placing "their hands inside the rear and front pockets of her jeans." Police were then summoned to arrest her."

The legal papers filed by Rosenthal said Comacho was not permitted to accompany her daughter to the precinct and was instead told to go home and wait for a call. The documents also said that Gonzalez was detained in "an enclosed room" at the precinct and handcuffed to a pole for more than two hours.

If that full million is awarded, then it should come from the police AND the school. Both acted reprehensibly and are not worthy of such authority over little kids...

I think the officers involved should be charged with kidnapping/unlawful restraint/false arrest - and the teacher and assistant principal charged with assault, violation of civil rights, and fired. I think the dean and the other academics involved should be fired, have their vested retirement quashed, lose their teaching credentials, and maybe charged with conspiracy to violate the girl's civil rights. And the court case dismissed with prejudice and the judge suspended or sanctioned for allowing the matter inside a court room much less resulting in a decision from the bench for punishment - on second thought maybe firing and disbarment ought to be added to the list for the judge as well.
I don't know what to think about the school safety officials if they weren't the arresting officers, I'm a bit unclear on that - BUT if there are more than one set of gropy guys in uniforms it's looking pretty good for a gang rape - multiple sexual assault - no, an aggravated sexual assault conspiracy charge of a minor and official misconduct "hangin' party"!

But then, these are just the same tactics employed by the law & order folks on TV and throughout the USA in actuality.

Of course, if this is a systemic problem, I would guess some smart guy might figure a way to make the issue a class action and really cost The City some money!

gj

[edit on 3-4-2010 by ganjoa]

And people wonder why I don't take authority seriously.

And people wonder why I don't take Adults seriously.

Well, they never earned that serious consideration now did they?

If they want to act like children, they should not be working in "Adult" jobs.

I agree with the poster above, they should all be fired. Teachers Police Judges. Fire the lot of them.

By keeping authority in check, they will not become out of control like this.

I bet they were even Trained to do this crap. It's pretty sick.

I'm sitting on the fence about this.
I DO believe both the school and the police were definitely in the wrong.
BUT-
A million dollar lawsuit is not the way to go about getting justice.
It makes the girl and her family appear to be greedy opportunists that are taking advantage of the situation.
I admit perhaps she went through a traumatic experience..but life is full of traumatic experiences..you don't clog up the legal system with them.
You learn from them, you take what you have learned, and you pass it on to others.
The media has already had a field day with this story, and the school and police have been put in a position to defend their actions.
A million dollars, or a billion dollars, won't change the fact that this happened.

While I do not agree with frivolous lawsuits - and the US is notorious for them - there are times when a stand must be made and this is one of those times. The school district policy must be changed to allow for individual circumstances and judgments that "fit the situation" and if taking the school to court is what it takes to repeal the "no chances" mandate, than I would back that.

As for the actions of the police officers in this case, seriously disgusting. The Department needs to answer for the actions of the officers, as well.

Money talks and this is about more than compensation for an act upon a minor. There is a much bigger picture to consider...



[edit on 3-4-2010 by LadySkadi]

reply to post by themystic123


This was posted on ATS that a girl was arrested. Hope she sues them but tbh this kinda news is better suited for BTS.

Could anyone here tell me what the police and the school and New York City had to say in their defense?

I find this absolutely nuts, completely out of line, over the top, insane -- words fail me. Why would they (the school, the police) do such a thing? Did someone tell them to do this? Is there a policy that dictates this kind of an official response to a student doodling on a desk?

Is there any defense for the system behaving this way? What am I missing?

???????? Please, if anyone can enlighten me, I would certainly appreciate it.

reply to post by mcduff53


Many school districts have a "zero tolerance" policy/mandate...

That is what led to her arrest... The inability to apply consequences to "fit the circumstances"

I understand zero tolerance but she wasn't carving in the desk with a knife. It was a pen.... Not saying that is right either but as others have said, give her detention and desk washing duty.

As AcessDenied said, suing isn't necessarily the answer either. Gives the girl a "bad name". The teachers, officers etc should have some sort of retraining or punishment as well.

Crazy world when there is so much worse happening in the school systems

Originally posted by AccessDenied
I'm sitting on the fence about this.
I DO believe both the school and the police were definitely in the wrong.
BUT-
A million dollar lawsuit is not the way to go about getting justice.
It makes the girl and her family appear to be greedy opportunists that are taking advantage of the situation.
I admit perhaps she went through a traumatic experience..but life is full of traumatic experiences..you don't clog up the legal system with them.
You learn from them, you take what you have learned, and you pass it on to others.
The media has already had a field day with this story, and the school and police have been put in a position to defend their actions.
A million dollars, or a billion dollars, won't change the fact that this happened.

You're right, the money isn't enough. Especially since the money will likely come from the tax payer's pockets. But it could potentially get that family out of a crap neighborhood full of teachers that don't care and cops with severe emotional issues.

The school authority figures that took part in this should be fired and heavily fined. The cops should lose their badge and anyone within law enforcement who allowed this to happen should get charged with armed kidnapping of a child. They should also be given the maximum penalty considering they abused the power given to them by the people. But I would be willing to negotiate that, considering they are cops and their experience in prison will be worse than the average criminal.

But instead nothing will happen. And if it does, it will get reduced to a paid suspension and all charges being dropped. If this happens, hopefully they will get stabbed to death in a random domestic violence call, a la karma.

reply to post by SirPsychoSexy

But it could potentially get that family out of a crap neighborhood full of teachers that don't care and cops with severe emotional issues.

Which is my case in point.
This is the parents going after money and very little of this is about justice for their daughter.
I'd like to know what lawyer has the balls to go up against an education system that lacks rules, and a police force that lacks morals and ethics and actually believes his clients will win a million dollars and bring about change in both systems.
The only clear cut million dollar winner here will be the NY times, in papers it sells for this farce of a lawsuit.

Originally posted by AccessDenied
I'm sitting on the fence about this.
I DO believe both the school and the police were definitely in the wrong.
BUT-
A million dollar lawsuit is not the way to go about getting justice.
It makes the girl and her family appear to be greedy opportunists that are taking advantage of the situation.
I admit perhaps she went through a traumatic experience..but life is full of traumatic experiences..you don't clog up the legal system with them.
You learn from them, you take what you have learned, and you pass it on to others.
The media has already had a field day with this story, and the school and police have been put in a position to defend their actions.
A million dollars, or a billion dollars, won't change the fact that this happened.

OK, how about we have real justice and the ALL the faculty and officers involved are fired....that won't happen though. A million bucks is so much easier.

Originally posted by SmokeandShadow

Originally posted by AccessDenied
I'm sitting on the fence about this.
I DO believe both the school and the police were definitely in the wrong.
BUT-
A million dollar lawsuit is not the way to go about getting justice.
It makes the girl and her family appear to be greedy opportunists that are taking advantage of the situation.
I admit perhaps she went through a traumatic experience..but life is full of traumatic experiences..you don't clog up the legal system with them.
You learn from them, you take what you have learned, and you pass it on to others.
The media has already had a field day with this story, and the school and police have been put in a position to defend their actions.
A million dollars, or a billion dollars, won't change the fact that this happened.

OK, how about we have real justice and the ALL the faculty and officers involved are fired....that won't happen though. A million bucks is so much easier.

Is that your idea? Certainly not mine. The justice needs to come from public outcry to have clearcut rules of punishment in the school.
As for the law enforcement..I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that one.It sounds like they were hoping for a promotion to GITMO.
I'd love to hear that 911 call.
Money does not buy justice..btw.

[edit on 3-4-2010 by AccessDenied]

reply to post by LadySkadi


Thanks for answering. But I have further questions . What is a "zero tolerance" policy? What does that mean, and why were the police called?

I live in NJ and have a daughter in high school. She's a very well behaved girl, so I'm not worried. But I remain extremely perplexed.

I have known of cases where friends of hers were put into detention, which is an isolated room, a sort of solitary confinement, in one instance for an entire day for something the boy insists he didn't do. Nothing like having the police called, is it? But he felt he had been pretty well abused.

Would writing on the desk be considered a misdemeanor? In a university setting, wouldn't they keep something like this entirely within the university?

Sorry, I'm really dense, I guess, about this.

Sorry for coming back so late, but I haven't really found my way around ATS yet, in terms of posting. Is there a place I can go to to see if something I posted received a reply?



[edit on 4-4-2010 by mcduff53]

reply to post by LadySkadi


Thanks for answering. But I have further questions . What is a "zero tolerance" policy? What does that mean, and why were the police called?

I live in NJ and have a daughter in high school. She's a very well behaved girl, so I'm not worried. But I remain extremely perplexed.

I have known of cases where friends of hers were put into detention, which is an isolated room, a sort of solitary confinement, for an entire day for something he insists he didn't do. Nothing like having the police called, is it? But he felt he had been pretty well abused.

Would writing on the desk be considered a misdemeanor? In a university setting, wouldn't they keep something like this entirely within the university?

Sorry, I'm really dense, I guess, about this.

Sorry for coming back so late, but I haven't really found my way around ATS yet, in terms of posting. Is there a place I can go to to see if something I posted received a reply?