Something Really Stinks Here

I haven't seen much about this in the blogosphere, but it's been all over the midday talk radio shows (or at least the ones that I catch little snippets of between schools): the teacher in Ohio who made a kid spray himself with Lysol in front of the whole class:

ELYRIA, Ohio (AP) — A school district was sued by parents who say their son's fourth-grade teacher made the boy spray himself with Lysol in front of classmates because of body odor.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Lorain County Common Pleas Court against the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake district in suburban Cleveland. It asks for $50,000 in damages for public humiliation and subsequent harassment by classmates.

As always, read the whole thing.

Now it goes without saying that the teacher was wrong here. Kids get humiliated enough in school by other kids; if the teacher joins in, or, as in this case, instigates it, then the kid has nowhere to turn. But one of the talk-show hosts had a good point: Did anyone talk to the parents in this case to find out why the kid showed up to school stinky in the first place? Was it poor hygiene? A lack of clean clothes? Malnutrition? Or was it something he just couldn't help?

I actually taught a stinky kid for a while (and you can imagine what that was like in a stuffy little 8'x8' practice room!). I never knew the cause of his stench, or even if he was aware of the problem. Everyone else was; other kids would say, "Eww, you're teaching (name deleted) next? I'm sorry!" I think he was the last lesson before lunch, so nobody had to directly follow him. But after hearing this case, I wonder now if anyone did contact the parents of this kid, because even the classroom teachers had to know. Still, there were about 257 more tactful ways that situation could be handled than it was in Ohio.

Anybody disagree with me? Think the teacher was justified? Comment away... (I'm also curious as to why, if this happened nearly two years ago as the story said, the lawsuit if just being filed now.)

The $120 nap: I'm at home now because, as I mentioned yesterday, they're giving the TAKS test at all my schools. I guess the timing couldn't have been any better, though, as I try to shake this allergy thing. Cost of eight missed lessons: $120. The chance to relax some more and get caught up on my backlog of work: Priceless. Still, things will get back to "normal" (whatever that is) soon enough, and I may not be able to post every day like I have been (even though my Site Meter numbers are slightly up since I started that), but I will pop on at least every other day like before...so check by every day just in case, will ya?

This rules: Someone has made a book of the Shotgun Rules and posted it online; very cool. I noted with interest the "barefoot rule," which says that everyone can't just grab their shoes and jump outside to call Shotgun; all shoes must be put on first. Since I live in a house where nearly everyone walks around unshod, I'm surprised nobody ever tried that. (And with Kevmobile 1.2 being a Civic, you'd best believe that Shotgun wars go on every time we leave the house in large groups; I'll never forget the time that Halfling (who's 5'7") won one, forcing the 6'4" Dingus to ride in the back all the way to Denton.)