The video below has caused a public outcry after a South Carolina school resource officer identified as Richland County Sheriff’s Department Senior Deputy Ben Fields is shown tossing a female high school student to the floor and dragging her from a classroom after she refused to get up and leave with him. Fields has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Fields, shown right from a Twitter photo, was reportedly called in because the student would not get off her cellphone or leave the class as instructed. The 15-second video shows Fields asking the student “Are You Coming With Me or am I Going to Make You? Come on. I’m going to get you up.” What follows is the scuffle where the student ends up on the floor and being pulled by Fields. Fields is heard saying “I’ll put you in jail next.”
The site Heavy has reported that Fields in the subject of a lawsuit alleging violations of the civil rights of a student at Spring Valley High School. The student, Ashton James Reese, was expelled in 2013 from the high school for “unlawful assembly of gang activity and assault and battery” and was also accused of participating in a “gang related” fight in a Walmart parking lot near the school. In the lawsuit, he is accused of “recklessly target[ing] African-American students with allegations of gang membership and criminal gang activity.”
The Columbia mayor has denounced Fields and said “We cannot and will not accept this kind of behavior from any law enforcement officer and I firmly believe that we need an independent investigation to get to the bottom of this incident and see that justice is done.”
Given that this was all about cellphone use, is there any justification for this level of force in your view?
“A seasoned teacher wouldn’t call for back up unless they were already having a bad day.”
Seems reasonable.
I am curious what transpired before this filmed event.
She could have been arrested for any number of violations – placed in handcuffs and removed. That would have been the lawful response.
This was non judicial “compliance enforcement” – she got hurt and humiliated for disobeying a policeman.
This police attitude – if you “disrespect” a cop, you will be punished on the spot is something that we see more frequently (probably because people are conditioned to record any police interaction).
It is also generating more pushback from thinking people who recognize that this extrajudicial punishment by cop is not part of our legal system.
(Also raises the issue of “law & order” folks – those people who believe that police violations of our judicial code is somehow OK – “She had it coming”. Somehow these folks never understand that standing up for one stupid high school girl protects their rights.)
Having dealt with cell phones in the classroom, I can tell you they are a general menace. However, calling the cops is not the way to handle it. You (the teacher) stand next to the student with your hand out and keep it there until the rest of the class shames them into getting off the phone.
My guess is the teacher is young and not much older than the students. Therefore not much of an authority figure yet. A seasoned teacher wouldn’t call for back up unless they were already having a bad day.
Students today have no respect for authority whatsoever, especially black students. They have been taught that the evil white man has oppressed them and owe them many favors and special privileges.
From my perspective, the action of the officer was measured and reasonable. He should be commended. If we let children disobey authority, civilization will break down.
As for cell phone use being the initial reason, it has little to do with the stubborn disobedience of the student not complying with the orders of the officer. The action of the officer was not about cell phone use, but about her disobedience to his instruction.
The police officers conduct was unforgivable. He doesn’t belong on the force in any capacity.
As to the student, it is fair to say that many students lack any discipline and schools cannot do what families used to. Unfortunately, we refuse to see and thus refuse to discuss the basic problems that plague our schools. As a result, the outrageous and unruly rule and those who wish to learn always lose.
“Then call the parents to come to school ”
Parents?
ha ha ha
Grandma, maybe.
” Fascism and a police state won’t cure the ills of our society.”
Leftists clamor for more government.
This is what more government looks like.
Oops.
Res ipsa loquitur.
Cop could have confiscated the cellphone. Then call the parents to come to school principals office and pick it up. Less intusive.
Reminds me of the cop in the Texas pool party incident. If police cannot keep their emotions in check, they need to take medical leave or leave the force. He could’ve broken this girl’s neck flipping the desk backwards with her still in it. Excessive and violent overreaction. Facism and a police state won’t cure the ills of our society.
Not an expert by any means, but I know chickenshit when I see it.
There is no art in what took place, are my expectations too high for the school? Or are expectations for the student, others, too high? After all is said and done, the incident becomes a teaching moment – on many levels and for many students, in the classroom and elsewhere.
The behavior of the student IS the problem. The officer’s behavior is collateral damage for what these students are doing to the education system. If this child’s behavior, and others like them goes unchecked, then forget about classroom management ever again.
Like germaine Greer in the other post, public school teachers helped create the monster of entitled feral barbarian prot-leftists who are adept only at being victims and complaining about their entitlements.
They destroyed Western Civ.
This is what non-Western “Civilization” looks like.
Enjoy the decline, South Carolina.
Won’t leave class and is disruptive because she’s on the phone.
Any bright ideas what should have happened?
Oh, I see the problem.
Spring Valley High School “minority enrollment is 64% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the state average of 48%.”
Ferguson writ small.
Explains everything.
Theodore Dalrymple was right.
Apparently her mind was not engaged with whatever the class was supposed to be doing. Either the pedagogy was inappropriate for her level of mental function or she had other priorities. With the availability of the Internet, disruptive kids should have the option of self-study with individual mentoring. Classroom learning may not be appropriate for all kids.
This is why I believe police officers should not be allowed in the schools systems. I understand about security but the schools systems need to hire a 3rd party security guards with certified gun use, it is most cost effective. The teachers feel they should rely on the cops instead of the Principal or the superintendent. If teachers want Police to run the school, then fire the Principal and superintendent. I see this behavior all the time with the police in schools in South Carolina.
Why would she be on her phone during class? She really is old enough to follow the rules, and “no cell phones during class” is reasonable. Was she researching something the teacher said on her phone? Was the class was doing a lesson where the students are supposed to be on their own device?
No of course police officers shouldn’t be coming into classrooms and assaulting students. The police should not routinely be involved in schools at all.
My opinion is that the amount and level of force was not reasonable given the circumstances, that is the classroom situation, no criminal activity on behalf of the student, and the fact that I could not see any evidence of force used against the deputy.
I think it is likely the deputy will be found to have violated department policy but not likely to be criminally prosecuted unless he substantially injured the girl.
I did find it almost comical how the mayor jumped all over this situation and then called for an Independent Investigation to make sure justice is served. Seems he is convinced only one outcome will meet his satisfaction. But he is a mayor so I don’t see how this matters when the sheriff is actually the person in charge.
Wouldn’t get off her cell phone during class? Wouldn’t leave the class? Wouldn’t leave with the police officer? Do you really think she’d be sweet talked into compliance? Or should it have been a gentle fight with the officer while also clinging to her desk. Or should they just allow disruptive kids to make the rules?
The physical confrontation looked brutal, but it isn’t clear to me that a half measure would have been effective, nor would letting her have her way be good for her or anyone else in the classroom.
Perhaps the real problem is that there are a lot of disturbed children in schools who could really benefit from a therapeutic school, but the money isn’t allocated and it can be legally challenging to force kids into these programs.