W
WorriedDadinMI
Guest
This takes place in Michigan:
CHILD (8 yr old boy) goes to school. His friend hands him a lighter to give to another 8yr old boy. CHILD takes lighter and says will give to other boy. CHILD gives lighter to other boy as promised, then asks for it back. CHILD plays with lighter inside desk (desk is of the flip top variety). Lighter ignites loose paper inside desk. CHILD closes lid of desk and scoots slightly away from desk. Teacher notices smoke/smell from desk. CHILD suspended from school for 3 days. Fire marshall shows mother the burnt desk. Desk is usable, very little damage, just smells bad. CHILD tells mother, and principal exactly what happened.
Police officer is called. Mother and son are told they can go to Police Station voluntarily, or be arrested for felony charge of Arson. They go voluntarily. Officer informs mother and child that child, by law, could be put into Juvenile hall right then. Officer reads both mother and child Miranda Rights. Both mother and child are extremely frightened. Officer suggests that child needs counseling, even though child has no violent, malicious, or negative behavioral history. Child does suffer from ADHD. After two and half hours mother and child go home. Mother was informed by officer that it will be approximately three months for the case will go to a judge where it could either be dismissed, or go to court. If it goes to court the mother will need an attorney, social workers will be interviewing siblings, friends, and relatives on child’s history and how good of a parent the mother is.
The following day, the Child’s teacher calls the mother to inform her that CHILD is now suspended until after Easter Break and is lucky that it was not for the rest of the year. Only reason it was not until end of year was because both mother and child were so cooperative previous day (On pervious day, Teacher stated that she did not even want to suspend CHILD, but had to). Teacher Also stated that she thinks the child may have a history of sexual or other forms of abuse and NEEDS counseling. This is this child’s first offense at all! He has not been abused in any way shape or form. It is believed the teacher changed the length of the suspension because the Fire Marshall disciplined the school and/or teacher for failure to activate the fire alarm when the fire was discovered. It is also possible that the teacher is discriminating against child and mother because they are of the Wiccan religion.
The major complaint the mother has is that this is the child’s first time of doing anything like this. He is now not sleeping, nor eating due to state of sever fear/anxiety over possibility of being taken away from his family. Mother has told the teacher she is not making excuses for the boy, and is not saying “my child would never do something like that”, she is stating that yes he did do it, however it was a mistake, an 8 yr old boy mistake. He is being treated as if he intentionally and maliciously started the fire. Which he did not.
Mother wants to know if she should not talk to school/police without proper counsel present or not. Can school legally do as they are doing? What are chances of boy being put in juvenile hall and social workers taking her daughter away as well?
CHILD (8 yr old boy) goes to school. His friend hands him a lighter to give to another 8yr old boy. CHILD takes lighter and says will give to other boy. CHILD gives lighter to other boy as promised, then asks for it back. CHILD plays with lighter inside desk (desk is of the flip top variety). Lighter ignites loose paper inside desk. CHILD closes lid of desk and scoots slightly away from desk. Teacher notices smoke/smell from desk. CHILD suspended from school for 3 days. Fire marshall shows mother the burnt desk. Desk is usable, very little damage, just smells bad. CHILD tells mother, and principal exactly what happened.
Police officer is called. Mother and son are told they can go to Police Station voluntarily, or be arrested for felony charge of Arson. They go voluntarily. Officer informs mother and child that child, by law, could be put into Juvenile hall right then. Officer reads both mother and child Miranda Rights. Both mother and child are extremely frightened. Officer suggests that child needs counseling, even though child has no violent, malicious, or negative behavioral history. Child does suffer from ADHD. After two and half hours mother and child go home. Mother was informed by officer that it will be approximately three months for the case will go to a judge where it could either be dismissed, or go to court. If it goes to court the mother will need an attorney, social workers will be interviewing siblings, friends, and relatives on child’s history and how good of a parent the mother is.
The following day, the Child’s teacher calls the mother to inform her that CHILD is now suspended until after Easter Break and is lucky that it was not for the rest of the year. Only reason it was not until end of year was because both mother and child were so cooperative previous day (On pervious day, Teacher stated that she did not even want to suspend CHILD, but had to). Teacher Also stated that she thinks the child may have a history of sexual or other forms of abuse and NEEDS counseling. This is this child’s first offense at all! He has not been abused in any way shape or form. It is believed the teacher changed the length of the suspension because the Fire Marshall disciplined the school and/or teacher for failure to activate the fire alarm when the fire was discovered. It is also possible that the teacher is discriminating against child and mother because they are of the Wiccan religion.
The major complaint the mother has is that this is the child’s first time of doing anything like this. He is now not sleeping, nor eating due to state of sever fear/anxiety over possibility of being taken away from his family. Mother has told the teacher she is not making excuses for the boy, and is not saying “my child would never do something like that”, she is stating that yes he did do it, however it was a mistake, an 8 yr old boy mistake. He is being treated as if he intentionally and maliciously started the fire. Which he did not.
Mother wants to know if she should not talk to school/police without proper counsel present or not. Can school legally do as they are doing? What are chances of boy being put in juvenile hall and social workers taking her daughter away as well?