Academia, Criminal law, Politics, Society

School Nurse Reportedly Refuses To Allow Student To Use Inhaler During Asthma Attack Because He Did Not Have Signed Parental Form

School officials in Florida’s Volusia County School are insisting that a school nurse was perfectly correct in refusing to give a boy his inhaler during an asthma attack because a medical release form was not signed by a parent. By the time the mother arrived at the school, her son was passed out on the floor. She says that the nurse watched as her son, Michael Rudi, 17, collapsed.


The school dean found the inhaler in its original packaging with the student’s name and directions for its use. He seized the inhaler because of the absence of a form. When the boy began to have trouble breathing the mother was called to come into school. It is not clear why, if they could reach the mother, they could not get telephonic approval. More importantly, with the boy having breathing problems, the school insisted that it was still more important to get a form signed than help the child. Rudi is quoted as saying “[a]s soon as we opened up the door, we saw my son collapsing against the wall on the floor of the nurse’s office while she was standing in the window of the locked door looking down at my son, who was in full-blown asthma attack.”
Faced with this horrific situation, the Director of Student Health Services, Cheryl Selesky, still insists it was the parents’ fault for not being sure a new signed form was on file this year. There may have been a failure in supplying such a form, but that pales in comparison to the callous and irresponsible attitude to this teenager who was in obvious medical need. The school was previously made aware of the boy’s medical condition and yet stood there with an inhaler and an unsigned form in hand . . . but concluded the form was the more pressing matter.

It is also not clear why 911 was not called. The parents have filed child endangerment charges against the nurse. They also may want to consider a civil lawsuit against the school. Since the school appears primarily motivated by legal rather than medical considerations, a torts action may serve to concentrate the mind of officials.

Source: Orlando

279 thoughts on “School Nurse Reportedly Refuses To Allow Student To Use Inhaler During Asthma Attack Because He Did Not Have Signed Parental Form”

  1. We’ve had too many close calls. Even vented my son on one occasion. That has probably made me overly critical of the nurse.

  2. ” at what point does your fear of personal consequences outweigh basic human decency?’~ CLH
    ————————————–
    I don’t think it’s decent to accuse people of horrible deeds all the while ascribing to them your own personal biased motivations.

    I don’t think that’s decent at all.

  3. Woosty- Yes, I would risk that, even with full knowledge of the potential personal consequences.

  4. Don;t know if anyone commented on it but Benjamin Ward, the NYC school chancellor, in the 80’s I believe, died from an asthma attack. Sometimes good samaritan rules, not if the paper was signed or not (and yet how many times have we heard of someone fired because they stopped a robbery – the rules have all turned upside down.

  5. “I dunno, but frankly, I’d rather risk going to jail, losing my job, and getting sued, than watch someone die in front of me. Liberal, conservative, socialist, capitalist, communist or anarchist, at what point does your fear of personal consequences outweigh basic human decency?” CLH
    —————————————————————————————-
    “My son has asthma, countless times have we went to the E.R.in fear for his life. Watching, hearing an attack is horrible to watch under any circumstances. Not just for the parent, but for an average bystander also. How any human being can watch a full blown asthma attack and do
    nothing is beyond my comprehension. ” anonymous
    —————–
    —————–
    Really CLH? You would (hypothetically) risk that?
    Anonymous, are you sure that is what happened???? You weren’t there….

    When the law has become so aggressive and unreasonable as to make people stop and actually think of personal repercussions should they do the right thing then, well, I believe that is where we are.
    When I was on the stand after being accused of bad things as PR in a probate, the monster law firm had hired an ‘expert’ to testify…..he lied and misconstrued to thier advantage and actually said to me, on the way out of the courtroom…”sorry, I’ve got kids to feed”. The accusations were never proved, most were absurd.[the monster sized corporate law firm suffered little,I became ill, the small estate was devasted].

    I’m ‘guessing’ that that nurse has kids too….and wishes like hell that that mother or that kid had stayed on top of thier responsibilities…so as not to risk HIS life!(nevermnd put her at such risk of loss of life). Instead they are comfortable scorching her, maybe costing her her job, the town $$$$, and public disdain…..they couldn’t see how they were the CAUSE?
    wow, I’ll bet they are great neighbors…..

    The ‘law’ has become a personal playground for some and a weapon against many.
    How do you suppose people will act? Some of you are very generous with other peoples lives and money….not so much maybe with your own?

    1. Woosty
      You’re right. I wasn’t there. I can only go by what I read. The parents, knowing how fast an asthma attack can happen, were neglectful of there responsibilities also. I mostly just read comments from everyone on here, from every subject, including yours. And I think you would have done the same as CLH and myself. Don’t blast me for thinking that about you. It’s a good thing. You wouldn’t take the chance of that child dying when you had the means to stop it. Kids to feed, how atrocious. No wonder you feel like you do.

  6. Blouise, I bet the decorations and your crown will be grand. It sounds like it’s going to be a lovely holiday for you and the scouts. And don’t you be indoctrinating those Girl Scouts with any of that secular humanism and social justice you’re into, the Papal spies are everywhere and they’ve already got their eyes on that organization for its ghodless ways. 🙂

    Thanks for the ‘Chicago’ vid, Queen Latifah stole the movie and I enjoyed watching that particular crime.

    http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/05/11/152506374/catholic-bishops-are-investigating-the-girl-scouts

  7. Bettykath, It’s Blouise, Queen of the Treehuggers that will be on the float handing out the tree seedlings- I’m just stuck here and ‘green’ with envy 🙂

  8. CLH
    Over 50% will remain passive accdg to stats.
    You are, I trust, making this a hypotheticle, since we dkon’t know the actual facts yet. But adding to the hue and cry for revenge often achieves that, not justice.

  10. What is happening to people? It used to be that stories like this made me ask “You’re joking, right? Right?” Now I just chew another antacid tablet. One of my father’s old saws comes to mind. “Compassion, hard work, and critical thinking are the solutions to all man’s problems. A lack of them is the cause. Just care about people, make the best decisions you can, and accept the consequences of your own decisions.”

    Does Florida have any kind of “Good Samaritan” immunity statute? Texas law does provide one, though I don’t know if it would apply to someone who is acting with a supposed “expertise” in administering care or service as an employee of the government. For example, if I administer CPR to someone I found lying unresponsive outside my front door, and I break their ribs, or I’m unsuccessful in resuscitating them, I’m immune from litigation in Texas, provided I was acting in good faith to render aid at the time. Does this not apply to a school? I dunno, but frankly, I’d rather risk going to jail, losing my job, and getting sued, than watch someone die in front of me. Liberal, conservative, socialist, capitalist, communist or anarchist, at what point does your fear of personal consequences outweigh basic human decency?

  12. bettykath

    blouise, love the clip. notice too that the guy fired the first shot was the one left standing. ain’t it the truth.

    ——————————————————-

    for sure 😉

  15. Woosty=^..^ : “If actual truth (based in facts and law) vs ‘practical’ truth (based in something else) is a distinction then the ‘justice’ system is potentially and dangerously serving a small part of society against the whole and has abdicated its role and usefulness to society.”
    ****

    Actually, when you put it that way, our Justice system seems to fit that description pretty well IMO. I attributed it to corruption though, the nature of truth didn’t enter my consideration. Maybe I’ll have to rethink the matter.

  18. “Do you think banks think they are a service industry?”

    I actually snorted my iced tea when I read that. 😀

  19. SlingTrebuchet
    1, May 25, 2012 at 7:17 pm
    Woosty,

    I don’t wish to pick a fight with you, so take this as at least partly humorous:
    “The legal industry, is a ‘service’ industry and demands the same ethics as any other service industry.”
    You mean like the banks?
    ————————————–
    Big grin. And no, I respect your opinion and am happy that there is a forum that allows discussion on this level…even if we don’t agree.

    Do you think banks think they are a service industry?

  20. Blouise17: “I went about my daily routine preparing for the big weekend (I get to ride in the parade in the back of a decorated pick-up truck as Queen of the Treehuggers and distribute small trees for planting to the gathered rabble along the parade route. I know, I know … you’re envious as all hell!) ”
    ****

    I AM! That is so cool! You will be fabulous as royalty. Should we call you ‘Your Highness’ (a title I once was associated with for different reasons) or just append ‘Queen of the Treehuggers’ onto Blouise17? Have a great time and don’t forget to do that little ‘majestic’ wave:

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