So, the BooMan copped a plea today to ‘disorderly conduct’ and ‘trespassing’. It’s not a big deal…doesn’t go on my record, no fingerprinting, I wasn’t arrested. Just a couple of citations, kind of like a parking ticket. But the whole episode is kind of instructive about how messed up our school systems have become and, also, about the huge difference between urban and suburban justice.
The story starts last Christmas when CabinBoytheElder (CBtE) received a very nice present. It was a very unusual sweatshirt with a distinctive print pattern. He was very pleased with the gift. And he took it with him on a wilderness trip to Big Bend National Park in January. For four weeks he hiked back and forth through the park in this sweatshirt and it has the red dust stains to prove it. It might sound funny, but CBtE developed a kind of bond with this article of clothing. It symbolized all that he endured and accomplished on his trip.
Sometime in March he put it in a friends’ locker at school and it disappeared. He was very upset about it. Then, in April, some kid showed up to school wearing the same sweatshirt. CBtE went up to the kid and asked to take a look, and he could see the red stains and other signs of wear, and he knew it was his sweatshirt.
The kid claimed he had just bought it from some store (that doesn’t carry the sweatshirt).
This began a slow process, with the school contacting the thief’s parents, the parents allegedly confirming they bought the sweatshirt, the school saying it was a ‘he-said, she-said’ situation that they couldn’t resolve…etc.
And this kid continued to wear the sweatshirt to school. It was driving CBtE crazy so he went to the vice-principal Mr. Anthony S. Freeman and showed him photographs of CBtE wearing the sweatshirt. The vice-principal blew him off and told his mother that the thief was an upstanding citizen, while her kid…not so much.
I listened to these stories and I was getting tired of seeing CBtE so upset by this bully getting away with stealing his prized sweatshirt and just rubbing it in his face by wearing to school all the time. Last week he was wearing the damn thing in 80 degree weather just to make sure CBtE knew who was the alpha male in this relationship.
So, I told CBtE to tell me the next time the kid wore the sweatshirt and I would go talk to him. He called me. I went down. I walked up to the kid while he was out in front of the school. I unzipped and removed the sweatshirt, quite calmly, while explaining that he had to take it off because it didn’t belong to him. Then I left.
Now, this stupid punk thief decided to actually complain to the school administration about having his stolen property repossessed by its rightful owners. Mind you, the kid never claimed it was his sweatshirt when I took it back from him, and his parents promptly dropped the story that they had bought it for him. But that didn’t matter to the jackass principal Dr. Stephen Swymer. He wanted to expel CBtE and prosecute me for everything short of murder.
So, long story short, I have to go down and explain this all to the police. And here I am in this podunk suburban police station listening to this detective explain to me that I should have contacted them to investigate the great stolen sweatshirt caper of 2007. So, I tell the guy, “Sir, I am from Philadelphia, and if I went to the police there about something like this they would laugh at me and not so politely ask me to leave.” And the guy tells me that they have better things to do, too. And I explain that Philly has seen over 300 homicides this year, letting go the contradiction in telling me I should have contacted them even though they have better things to do.
Then this detective tells me that kids will be kids and they steal stuff all the time, and that if I pursue the theft that the thief’s parents can make my life difficult by charging me with harsher penalties.
Now, there’s more to this story, including that this wasn’t the first time this punk-kid stole something out of CBtE’s friend’s locker and the fact that he going around trying to recruit someone to batter CBtE (the police are following up on this latter problem).
Let’s be realistic, here were the real options. One, let this kid get away with stealing the sweatshirt and let him continue to shove it in CBtE’s face. Or, two, try to get the police department interested in a forensic investigation of a $60 sweatshirt, including, presumably, dirt analysis and an investigation of the stocking history of two different retail chains. Or, three, what I did.
But, the detective told me with a straight face that I should have been a responsible adult and pursued option two. Maybe that washes in the burbs, but it’s a bad joke to this city dweller.
Now, I understand the sensitivity people have about protecting kids and about a confrontation on school property. That’s why I copped to entering the school without permission and for essentially creating a disturbance.
The fines cost more than sweatshirt, but I don’t really care. This was the only way that CBtE was going to get the sweatshirt that he loves back. Now he has it. I’ll pay the fine.
As for this school? They really could care less whether they have a thief in their midst. After all, kids will be kids.
can be found here, in case anyone wants to donate.
I wonder if the sweatshirt thief will be the recipient in 2012.
I agree with what you did, boo. I would have done worse. Honestly, the school system lets kids get away with tons of bullshit under the “kids will be kids” mantra.
I’m all for some old-school discipline for brats like that–it would improve education for everyone involved.
In fact, there’s a reason education is going down the tubes in this country. Funding is part of it, but lack of discipline is a HUGE part of it. Teachers are supposed to take over for parents (both of whom work), but get in shitloads of trouble for saying peep to a “kid” (also a bullshit term).
Teachers need a LOT more leeway when it comes to discipline; in the old days, a bully like that would have had the sweatshirt taken away, his OWN shirt taken off and destroyed on general principle, and a ruler across the knuckles. And the parents would have approved.
You know what, BooMan? You are one cool dude. Bravo.
What eodell said. You are a very cool dude.
Good for you BooMan.
LOL! Great story!
Booman, I so feel you.
When my daughter was in high school, she saw a kid swipe her purse which she had left on a nearby bench. She ran after him, grabbed the purse and pushed him away. She got suspended for three days. The purse thief got an hour of detention.
Talks with the administration were not satisfactory, but I didn’t get arrested. ; )
well…I wasn’t arrested either, but they did make me feel like a criminal and tell me that the real criminal was just ‘being a boy’.
Well, you were just being a dad.
Yes, a boy still learning lessons about what life is all about…
They should consider what they’re teaching.
agreed. it’s preposterous.
A punk grabbed an Air Force jacket of mine and claimed it was his and on and on.
I solved it quite easily.
Dead skunk in locker works every time.
Shrimp in hubcaps. Or so my friend claims. A kid with this much entitlement surely has a car.
He claims people rip their cars apart trying to figure out what died in there…
no “creating a nuisance”? sounds to me like you did great.
obviously school principals are the same kind of narrow minded authoritarian jerks they used to be, another thing that doesn’t change.
no, i would rather say that they’re petrified of parents going down their throats for disciplining a brat like that.
They don’t stand to lose their jobs by letting the kid get away with it; they do stand to lose them by disciplining.
Years ago, when my kids were little, I noticed my babysitter wearing an unusual ring – just like the one my husband bought me. (Which, oddly enough, was missing.)
I went to her mother, my next-door neighbor. I explained it wasn’t such a big deal, kids were impulsive, I didn’t want to make a big thing out of it but I did want the ring back.
Well! This nice Catholic matriarch (who, until then, had been a wonderful neighbor) accused me of imposing my own dirty hippie values on her well-brought-up daughter, who would NEVER do such a thing. I was flabbergasted.
I sent the mother a letter in which I pointed out the ring was stamped with the name of the silversmith on the inside. I did finally get the ring back (I forget how) but my neighbor stopped speaking to me for years.
I’ve known a couple. They’re a danger to society.
Hurrah for You! What principles! What a dad! Beats the day I called a bully’s mom and told her I would “sue the pants off her” if her kid ever shoved mine again.
This is so awesome! You know what pisses me off?…parents who cover for their theiving kids at times like that. I think they should be thrown in jail for having failed society miserably by reproducing and being negligent parents. WTF ever happened to personal accountability…no one has it anymore.
Good onya Boo.
I was a little guy in school, and from 6th grade to 8th grade was constantly on the receiving end of it from bullies. Like CBtE, I also had bad relations with a fairly unsympathetic administration, and so when I DID fight back, i would inevitably get blamed for the whole ruckus.
Good for you for standing up for CBtE. especially cus with that beard, you’re a scary looking mf.
Good for you, BooMan!
Great story, and one that I can identify with somewhat. When I was in junior high, somehow I managed to leave a ring I really liked in my desk. The desks were shared, meaning that the kid who had that desk the next period would have had every opportunity to swipe the ring, which he did. Unfortunately the kid who had that desk the next period was the school bully. I never did get that ring back.
On the other hand, I like to think that I’m over here working in high tech, doing what I want to do, happy with friends and family, and that the school bully is at a dead end job somewhere wondering if they’re going to repossess his trailer.
If, of course, I think about him at all. That’s the best revenge — completely forgetting those who had power over me when I was a kid.
Great story! With any luck you just held the next generation’s Karl Rove accountable in his formative years and he’ll be looking over his shoulder for years to come. Umm, well, one can hope?
Wanna bet there’s no record?
I hate seeing people get away with this kind of stuff. Way to go man!
You a patient man, an exemplary parent, and an upstanding citizen.
If the cops could get away with it most of them would probably agree with me.
Good Job, case closed.
Bob Higgins
the guy who is chef here in my mountain area is from philly and is tough and smart, but spare with words. still, boo’s story here reminds me of the sense i get lurking and reading this blog everyday. the sense is that behind the good sense and judgement of boo and company is a courage to do things that require healthy balls.
i don’t know if all phillys are fearless; i hate the masquerading toughness of chris matthews along with every other thing about him that he pretends but is not. but this story is downright biblical, inspirational.
when i give this story to seth- the -chef he will look at me and partly smile and say ‘yeah, good shit’.
You need to send this story to Arlo Guthrie. “The BooMan School Yard Massacre” This has the potential to be this generations “Alice’s Restaurant” . You have the 8X10 glossy photos, had to go down to the ” police officer station”, pay a fine, and while there was no Officer Obie you had Dr Swymer. This can be a classic if put to song.
On a serious note. You did the right thing.
it’s the Group W bench for you, sir…well done!
lTMF’sA
“Kids will be kids.” True enough. (Hard to go wrong with a tautology.)
And kids who get away with stealing, very likely, will be adult thieves.
And kids who get away with stealing because they can be confident that, since they are “fine citizens”, the authorities will defend and protect them while accusing their victims … will be Republican officials, lawmakers, and lobbyists.
Nice story, BooMan. Job well done.
Congratulations for sticking up fer CBtE, and letting him know that no matter what, ” A thing cries out for its master” – the frakkin’ shirt wanted him as much as he wanted the shirt. Now I hope he wears it to school everyday, gets his school picture taken in it, uses it for his facebook pic, gets it in the yearbook in activity photos. Also, be sure you get a nice big enlargement of him wearing it, frame it, and hang it prominently in your house.
You did the right thing. I take it you are the dad? A dad after my own heart, if you are. Can you post a pic of CBtE wearing it on the blog?
BWAAAAAAHAAAAA!!!!!
Principals are weasels. Good job!
sound just like the Republicans calling for Libby to be pardoned — I’d love to see their political affiliation.
And sounds like their kid’s growing up to be a Halliburton executive if he lives long enough…
I know you had a rough week, BooMan. CBtE may have learned some harsh things about those in charge of the school in how they acted….not to mention about the bully and those who favored his side of it…..but just imagine what he learned from you! Hooray! His hero! Worth gold in this life. A great story. And, it mirrors other current ones about thugs and bullies who think they rule the world and are above the “rules”…and sometimes seem to get away with anything and everything.
BooMan rules!
As for this school? They really could care less whether they have a thief in their midst.
Modern schools teach corruption.
This is a change.
Hey, the thief is an upstanding citizen!
Booman, apparently my child’s school [in East London] has banned a parent from the school grounds for confronting a classmate of his child over some sort of ongoing playground feud. The kids are 11 years old.
So, while I am sympathetic to you and I think that the Principal and Viceprincipal at your child’s school are assholes, you were treading a fine line there.
Booman, you put your finger on a large social problem. It’s common for a kid suspended from school having his parents sue to get him reinstated. They often win. School administrators find themselves in no win situations. We create lots of them. Doctors perform tests no matter how invasive, because if it turns out they were wrong to decide the test was unnecessary, they get sued for serious money. In the US there’s a flight from responsibility for one’s acts. What we call the rule of law gets bent further out of shape every day.
Taking things a bit further, beyond the scope of this thread…This is a liberal blog and at least some members object to the Democrats folding on funding the war, yet we pay our taxes to support something we hate. Why? Because we’re law abiding. You should have given the cops a chance to turn you down.
Dude, classic. Absolutely classic. Perfect response on your part. But as a public school teacher myself, I can tell you that you are definitely walking a fine line when you come onto school grounds to confront a kid. They will all do exactly what this punk did, which is to run crying to the principal and expect sympathy. And protection from mean bullies like you! Glad things seem to have worked out as well as they have– especially glad that you successfully got the sweatshirt back!
Next thing I want you to do is go and get your RETAINER back!!!
; )
Hang in there BooMan, the Yankees still have a long season ahead of them. It will get interesting yet.
Ah, Katie Geiger.
I gave that girl my Patagonia jacket to wear because it was cold out, or drizzling, I forget. And then she wears it home and refuses to bring it back.
And it had my retainer in the pocket.
After a day or two, my mother gets my older brother to drive me over to her house in Lawrenceville.
We get to the house and Katie isn’t there. She’s out jogging, her mother explains.
So, mom goes up to her room and gets the jacket. I’m walking to the car when I realize that my bottom retainer is in the box, but not the top retainer. So, we go back and mom goes and looks for it. She can’t find it so she invites my brother and me to sit in the living room and wait for Katie to show up.
Katie finally comes in after 15-20 agonizing minutes. She’s all flushed from jogging in the cold. Her mom asks her sternly where the other retainer is. She looks embarrassed, shrugs, and then POPS IT OUT OF HER MOUTH.
She went jogging with my retainer in her mouth.
Her mother started wretching, then I did, then my brother did.
Classic.
That really tickles my funny bone for some reason.
Alas, poor Katie. Where is she now, I wonder?
that one sticks with you. Twenty-one years later and pateacher is still bringing it up.
Will she be at the reunion??? Will you???
this is why i admire you so. you did it, it seems, largely on principle. you could’ve bought a new sweatshirt, but it wouldn’t have had the same stains of accomplishment on it. good shit man. good shit.
this is one example of why i hate the ‘burbs so much. i grew up in one. they don’t make sense to me.
I know the CBtE, he’s a really awesome person. So what if he’s done some stupid stuff, who hasn’t? He did not deserve to not be able to go back to school. Swymer said he’d send someone to homeschool him, but what I heard June 8th was that noone had come yet. I have heard nothing but good about the CBtE, but Swymer, nothing but bad. [And not only from students] All I can say is thank God he is retireing.
I think small claims court is where this should be handled, and it’s a good introduction to the system for the kid.
JUST don’t go on Judge Judy!!!
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