Teacher acquitted in "retard" case

Not much bothers me more than people using the word retard in a joking or insulting way. There is nothing funny or trivial with mental retardation. The teacher was totally inappropriate with her punishment. I would rather see him be made to do something nice for someone...or research and write a paper on the effects of bullying.

No the punishment did not fit the crime. There were other ways to handle this. The teacher essentially stooped to the 'bullies' level by making him write out I am a retard. One name caller insulting another name caller? What ever happened to detention or being sent the principals office? Or calling the kid's parents? Not sure this demanded jail time on the part of the teacher, but a sever appology to the child and his family for not handling the situation appropriatly is definatly called for.

No way is that punishment proper.He should have been punished in another manor like detention,no recess for a week.The child that pushed this child should have been punished too,but not as much.My grown adult children and other adults I hear them name calling jokingly calling their friend a retard.My husband used to say it too.It really infurriated me.I told him that that was not a joking name,such as you silly or nut.What if one of our kids was born retarded?That's like I know someone who's daughter married a black man and she is white.They had two kids.Her father loves to drink and he called his own grandchildren little n******!Name calling! The teacher should loose her job for that!

If it were a different term, I might not have such a problem with it. I don't think there is anything wrong with making a child write for a punishment per say. But writing "I'm a retard" is so out of line. Mentally retarded people aren't bullies nor are they rude. That's what this kid was being & that's what his punishment should have reflected. Perhaps "I am a brat" or better still, "I won't be a bully again" would be much more appropriate.

No. Retard is an offensive word to use and it should not have been the correct word choice for the boy to have to write. "I am mean" or "I am cruel" or anything like that would have been sufficent.