Why police were called to a South Jersey third-grade class party

[Ban Hammer 13,333]

On June 16, police were called to an unlikely scene: an end-of-the-year class party at the William P. Tatem Elementary School in Collingswood.

A third grader had made a comment about the brownies being served to the class. After another student exclaimed that the remark was "racist," the school called the Collingswood Police Department, according to the mother of the boy who made the comment.

The police officer spoke to the student, who is 9, said the boy's mother, Stacy dos Santos, and local authorities.

Dos Santos said that the school overreacted and that her son made a comment about snacks, not skin color. "He said they were talking about brownies. . . . Who exactly did he offend?" dos Santos said. The boy's father was contacted by Collingswood police later in the day. Police said the incident had been referred to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency. The student stayed home for his last day of third grade. Dos Santos said that her son was "traumatized," and that she hopes to send him to a different Collingswood public school in the fall.

And she wants an apology. She said she graduated from Collingswood High School and has two other children, a 21-year-old who also went through Collingswood schools, and a 3-year-old. Her husband, the third grader's father, is Brazilian, dos Santos said. "I'm not comfortable with the administration [at Tatem]. I don't trust them and neither does my child," she said. "He was intimidated, obviously. There was a police officer with a gun in the holster talking to my son, saying, 'Tell me what you said.' He didn't have anybody on his side."

The incident, which has sparked outrage among some parents, was one of several in the last month when Collingswood police have been called to look into school incidents that parents think hardly merit criminal investigation. Superintendent Scott Oswald estimated that on some occasions over the last month, officers may have been called to as many as five incidents per day in the district of 1,875 students.

The police and schools were also advised that they should report "just about every incident" to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency, Carey said.

Previously, the school district, following the state's Memorandum of Agreement Between Education and Law Enforcement Officials, had only reported incidents it deemed serious, like those involving weapons, drugs, or sexual misconduct. Both Carey and School Board President David Routzahn described the protocol set forth after that May meeting as a significant change in procedure.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20160629_Why_police_were_called_to_a_South_Jersey_third_grade_class_party.html

[smilesammich 10,727]

i'm sure there was zero reason why the school couldn't have handled this situation without police involvement (i agree with the article in that police interaction/discipline, without representation most certainly, is harmful to children) but what i want to know is exactly what the kid said..this is a pretty long article for not ever giving anymore detail to the 'offensive' remark than to say the kid 'made a comment'.

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

On June 16, police were called to an unlikely scene: an end-of-the-year class party at the William P. Tatem Elementary School in Collingswood.

A third grader had made a comment about the brownies being served to the class. After another student exclaimed that the remark was "racist," the school called the Collingswood Police Department, according to the mother of the boy who made the comment.

The police officer spoke to the student, who is 9, said the boy's mother, Stacy dos Santos, and local authorities.

Dos Santos said that the school overreacted and that her son made a comment about snacks, not skin color. "He said they were talking about brownies. . . . Who exactly did he offend?" dos Santos said. The boy's father was contacted by Collingswood police later in the day. Police said the incident had been referred to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency. The student stayed home for his last day of third grade. Dos Santos said that her son was "traumatized," and that she hopes to send him to a different Collingswood public school in the fall.

And she wants an apology. She said she graduated from Collingswood High School and has two other children, a 21-year-old who also went through Collingswood schools, and a 3-year-old. Her husband, the third grader's father, is Brazilian, dos Santos said. "I'm not comfortable with the administration [at Tatem]. I don't trust them and neither does my child," she said. "He was intimidated, obviously. There was a police officer with a gun in the holster talking to my son, saying, 'Tell me what you said.' He didn't have anybody on his side."

The incident, which has sparked outrage among some parents, was one of several in the last month when Collingswood police have been called to look into school incidents that parents think hardly merit criminal investigation. Superintendent Scott Oswald estimated that on some occasions over the last month, officers may have been called to as many as five incidents per day in the district of 1,875 students.

The police and schools were also advised that they should report "just about every incident" to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency, Carey said.

Previously, the school district, following the state's Memorandum of Agreement Between Education and Law Enforcement Officials, had only reported incidents it deemed serious, like those involving weapons, drugs, or sexual misconduct. Both Carey and School Board President David Routzahn described the protocol set forth after that May meeting as a significant change in procedure.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20160629_Why_police_were_called_to_a_South_Jersey_third_grade_class_party.html

We are edging further and further toward police state and total loss of freedom

[Merrytooth 5,748]

From the facebook trending,

it was last few days of school, kids Mom sent Brownies, this one said, " I don't like this brownie" another student says he was called a name, so the teacher went to the principle and they called the cops. the kid was taken out, parents are under investigation now, and the kid is now being considered moving to another school.

[smilesammich 10,727]

From the facebook trending,

that's just absurd. i feel like something is missing.

[Merrytooth 5,748]

I think "I don't like brownies" is a very strong feeling.

How can a 9 year old child has so much hate

Something is wrong with that school system:

Apparently the directive to call the police over even minor incidents comes from the top down. In a meeting in May, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office directed school officials and police to involve law enforcement in issues “as minor as a simple name-calling incident that the school would typically handle internally.” They were also told to report “just about every incident” to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection.

[smilesammich 10,727]

I think "I don't like brownies" is a very strong feeling.

How can a 9 year old child has so much hate

Something is wrong with that school system:

and this is just from last year, have they already forgotten about severing the school to prison pipeline or is the camden county prosecutor's office loosing too much money on the cut???

1) Discipline: New parameters regarding how unruly students are disciplined are being rolled out, Rouhanifard said, adding that the number of suspensions handed down needs to be reduced.

To achieve this, a "restorative justice" approach places the focus on good behavior. If a teacher is faced with one student acting up within a small group, that teacher will focus on the positive behavior of the other students nearby, thus placing the pressure on the disruptive student to straighten up.

In the long run, such methods will help sever the school to prison pipeline, the superintendent said.

http://www.nj.com/camden/index.ssf/2015/08/camden_school_district_sets_sights_on_new_goals_fo.html

[Ban Hammer 13,333]

We are edging further and further toward police state and total loss of freedom

good thing the kid didn't chew on the brownie until it vaguely resembled a pistol............

[Merrytooth 5,748]

and this is just from last year, have they already forgotten about severing the school to prison pipeline or is the camden county prosecutor's office loosing too much money on the cut???

http://www.nj.com/camden/index.ssf/2015/08/camden_school_district_sets_sights_on_new_goals_fo.html

This school involved here is William P. Tatem Elementary School in Collingswood, New Jersey.

Different school district -> Collingswood Borough School District

Anyway, the teacher and principal screwed up badly or they were just following protocols

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

We are edging further and further toward police state and total loss of freedom

Yep, and the folks who have the ability to stop this refuse to speak up.