3rd Graders Plot Teacher Attack

	Duration: 05:05 minutes Upload Time: 2008-04-02 11:04:28
Waycross, Ga. -- A group of third-graders plotted to attack their teacher, bringing a broken steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape and other items for the job and assigning children tasks including covering the windows and cleaning up afterward, police said Tuesday. The plot by as many as nine boys and girls at Center Elementary School in south Georgia was a serious threat, Waycross Police Chief Tony Tanner said Tuesday. "We did not hear anybody say they intended to kill her, but could they have accidentally killed her? Absolutely," Tanner said. "We feel like if they weren't interrupted, there would have been an attempt. Would they have been successful? We don't know." The children, ages 8 and 9, were apparently mad at the teacher because she had scolded one of them for standing on a chair, Tanner said. They could be expelled, but a prosecutor said they are too young to be charged with a crime under Georgia law. Tanner said school officials alerted police Friday after a pupil tipped off a teacher that a girl had brought a weapon to school. Police seized a broken steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape, electrical and transparent tape, ribbons and a crystal paperweight from the students, who apparently intended to use them against the teacher, Tanner said. Theresa Martin, spokeswoman for the Ware County school system, said nine children had been given discipline up to and including long-term suspension. She would not be more specific. She said none of the children had been back to school since the case came to light. The alleged target is a veteran educator who teaches third-grade students with a range of learning disabilities, including attention deficit disorder, delayed development and hyperactivity, friends and parents said. Tanner said the scheme involved a division of roles. One child's job was to cover windows so no one could see outside, he said. Another was supposed to clean up after the attack. "We estimate between six to nine students were involved. ... We're not sure at this point in the investigation how many of the students actually knew the intent was to hurt the teacher," Tanner said. The parents of the students have cooperated with investigators, who aren't allowed to question the children without their parents' or guardians' consent, he said. Authorities have withheld the children's names. Police expected to forward the results of their investigation to prosecutors, Tanner said. Children in Georgia can't be charged with a crime unless they are at least 13, District Attorney Rick Currie said. Martin, told The Florida Times-Union of Jacksonville, Fla., that administrators would follow school system policy and state law in disciplining the students. "From what I understand, they were considered pretty good kids," Martin said. "But we have to take this seriously, whether they were serious or not about carrying this through, and that's what we did." Four mothers of other third-grade students at Center Elementary called for the immediate expulsion of the suspected plotters. Stacy Carter and Deana Hiott both cited school system policy stating that any student who brings "anything reasonably considered to be a weapon" is to be expelled for at least the remainder of the school year. "We don't want our children around them," Carter told the Times-Union. "The one with the knife could have stabbed my child or someone else's child at lunch or out on the playground." "This is an isolated incident, an aberration. ... We have good kids," Center Principal Angie Coleman told the newspaper.
Comments
SPECFIRE22  2008-04-06 22:27:47 Yeah you are right common sense is a large factor but these kids are only third graders and they are in special ed.... alot of kids that are in special ed have mental problems. But the plan these kids hatched is elaborate and wicked smart. This couldn't have just been thought up by these kids they must have gotten and idea to do this from somewhere... tv, games, Internet, or someone older told them what to do and how to do it. But really killing your teacher for getting in trouble.... STUPID!!! __________________________________________________
BILLYTHEKID1776  2008-04-06 21:43:53 The teacher must be a dick. __________________________________________________
strawberrypandaa  2008-04-06 19:41:40 "children of the corn" __________________________________________________
queenliyah123  2008-04-06 19:14:45 but i have to admitt when i first heard about this i was cracking up! it's just crazy man! and funny as hell! __________________________________________________
queenliyah123  2008-04-06 19:10:35 thats just horrible! how could children that young know about killing. those kids had to be smart too becuz they planned to cover the windows and clean up the blood if needed. wow! but i believe that teacher did more then just tell that kid to get off a chair becuz there is no way possible that a kid would just wake up and decide to kill a teacher! im 15 years old with a younger brother and i couldnt even imagine my brother doing something like that! I WANNA see how the kids look. uh sick __________________________________________________