Academia, Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

Houston Teacher Fired After Release of Beating Video

Houston teacher Sheri Davis has attained a degree of infamy after the release of a videotape showing her beating a 13-year-old student in front of her classroom.

She has been terminated from employment.

Davis, 40, taught at the Jamie’s House Charter School. She is a science teacher but has no teaching certificate.

The interesting question is the potential school liability in the hiring and supervision of Davis. The school will argue that this is obviously outside the scope of employment and outside the policies of the school system.

UPDATE: As expected, the family is suing the school district, here.

For the story, click here.

9 thoughts on “Houston Teacher Fired After Release of Beating Video”

  1. Up until she slammed the kid’s upper torso against the floor/wall, I was thinking that this was more embarrassing than painful for the boy. (It’s totally unacceptable, and I can’t imagine how it isn’t criminal, so I’m not saying that this behavior is OK)

    Wait, does this mean that charter schools aren’t a supernatural entity that will magically provide good education to the majority of America’s kids!?!? But teachers in charter schools are largely unable to unionize, and without the evil influence of teachers’ unions everything is supposed to be magically better! I’m shocked!

  2. Here in lies the problem with blindly applying free-market solutions to every problem. Do you really want your kid to be in one of the charter schools that fail to produce a good “product”?

    Of course the flip side to that is, do you really want your kid to be forced into a system that’s stagnated due to lack of competing ideas?

  3. Despite their halo, charter schools range from the rigorous to McSchools based on ludicrcous ideas and run by politically connected people. I’d bet this is one of the latter.

  4. Charter schools traditionally do not require a teaching certificate.

  5. Woosty:

    I’d happily take that negligent hiring case given those facts.

  6. from the story;
    ‘The Houston charter school teacher caught on a cell-phone video beating a 13-year-old student was wanted on a criminal mischief charge, accused of slashing a woman’s tires last year.’

    what kind of oversight do charter schools subscribe to?

Comments are closed.