Steven P. BarrettSOME PARENTS DON'T EXERCISE CONTROL AND CAUTION: THEY CALL LAWYERS AFTER IT'S TOO LATE (LINK)
August 15th 2008 18:28
By Steven Barrett
I wouldn't wish the death of a child on any parent, but on the other hand, there are some parents I wouldn't wish upon any child. Just in today, according the MSNBC.com it was learned that the parents of Larry King, a 15 year-old student at E.O. Green school in Ventura, CA filed suit against the school for -- get this --
and --
A much longer sidebar feature gives a lot more details. Really Long Link
Yet, from all I was able to grasp out of this tragedy, the school is NOT responsible for this kid's death for the reasons given by his parents. They did everything they could within the daffy California laws that allowed a boy to not wear provocative clothing but up to a certain point, even get away with provocative gestures.
That doesn't excuse his assilant by any means. You don't settle unsettling behavior like King's provocatively and I mean that, provocatively in your face taunting of his homosexuality, outrageous misconduct. Guns have no place in kids hands, much less on any school grounds.
But this lawsuit exposes a lack of willingness on Larry King's parents to accept the fact that they have accept a great deal of responsibility for what happened to their child. This is exactly what happens when unscrupulous ambulance chasers get into the act. Even if he was a hetereosexual and flaunted his straightness in a predominately homosexual public school population, that wouldn't excuse a kid thinking he had homosexual tendencies to shoot him either. And it' afford his parents no cover similar to the ones attempted by King's parents.
They have much to answer for concerning the loss of their child. But it's not their call to make the rest of society pay because they refused to step all the way to the challenge of proper childrearing. There are lots of kids who think they have gay tendencies and their parents, while being sympathetic to the gay political agenda wouldn't even think of being so irresponsible to allow their kids to go out and behave so provocatively because they know what it could leadl to. What I've just shared isn't "newsy" or a tip in the latest ideas of proper "parenting" skills, either. It's called commonsense.
It doesn't even have to be a gay/straight issue. I happen to live in a sports-addicted part of the country and the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry is a bloodpassion sort of deal for die hards on either side. If more of my kids were Yankee fans (alas, I failed) and wanted to wear pinstriped jerseys and blue and white-lettered caps to school -- I'd say over MY dead body before I'd put them at risk for harm.
If I or any parent in a similar situation could display that firmness for a relatively much lighter issue, why on on earth did Larry King's parents drop the ball so spectacularly and worse, display the gall to then sue the school; especially when the school did its job within the confines of a nonsensical set of laws, which in the end, set this kid and any others like him up for a lot of hurt, if not worse. In Larry King's situation, it was far worse.
I wouldn't wish the death of a child on any parent, but on the other hand, there are some parents I wouldn't wish upon any child. Just in today, according the MSNBC.com it was learned that the parents of Larry King, a 15 year-old student at E.O. Green school in Ventura, CA filed suit against the school for -- get this --
. . . allowing their son to wear makeup and feminine clothing to school — factors the family claims led to the death.
The parents and brother of 15-year-old Larry King of Oxnard filed a personal injury claim against the Hueneme school district seeking unspecified damages for not enforcing the dress code.
King, an eighth-grader at E.O. Green Junior High School, was shot in February. Classmate Brandon McInerney pleaded not guilty to the shooting last week. He was charged as an adult and also faces a charge of a committing a hate crime.
The parents and brother of 15-year-old Larry King of Oxnard filed a personal injury claim against the Hueneme school district seeking unspecified damages for not enforcing the dress code.
King, an eighth-grader at E.O. Green Junior High School, was shot in February. Classmate Brandon McInerney pleaded not guilty to the shooting last week. He was charged as an adult and also faces a charge of a committing a hate crime.
and --
The family's claim, filed last week in Ventura County Superior Court, said administrators and teachers failed to enforce the school's dress code when King wore feminine clothing and makeup to school.
His parents, Dawn and Gregory King, said faculty members knew their son had "unique vulnerabilities" and was subject to abuse because of his sexual orientation.
A call for comment to district Superintendent Jerry Dannenberg was not immediately returned.
State law requires individuals to file a claim before proceeding with a lawsuit against a public agency.
His parents, Dawn and Gregory King, said faculty members knew their son had "unique vulnerabilities" and was subject to abuse because of his sexual orientation.
A call for comment to district Superintendent Jerry Dannenberg was not immediately returned.
State law requires individuals to file a claim before proceeding with a lawsuit against a public agency.
A much longer sidebar feature gives a lot more details. Really Long Link
Justice
That doesn't excuse his assilant by any means. You don't settle unsettling behavior like King's provocatively and I mean that, provocatively in your face taunting of his homosexuality, outrageous misconduct. Guns have no place in kids hands, much less on any school grounds.
But this lawsuit exposes a lack of willingness on Larry King's parents to accept the fact that they have accept a great deal of responsibility for what happened to their child. This is exactly what happens when unscrupulous ambulance chasers get into the act. Even if he was a hetereosexual and flaunted his straightness in a predominately homosexual public school population, that wouldn't excuse a kid thinking he had homosexual tendencies to shoot him either. And it' afford his parents no cover similar to the ones attempted by King's parents.
They have much to answer for concerning the loss of their child. But it's not their call to make the rest of society pay because they refused to step all the way to the challenge of proper childrearing. There are lots of kids who think they have gay tendencies and their parents, while being sympathetic to the gay political agenda wouldn't even think of being so irresponsible to allow their kids to go out and behave so provocatively because they know what it could leadl to. What I've just shared isn't "newsy" or a tip in the latest ideas of proper "parenting" skills, either. It's called commonsense.
It doesn't even have to be a gay/straight issue. I happen to live in a sports-addicted part of the country and the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry is a bloodpassion sort of deal for die hards on either side. If more of my kids were Yankee fans (alas, I failed) and wanted to wear pinstriped jerseys and blue and white-lettered caps to school -- I'd say over MY dead body before I'd put them at risk for harm.
If I or any parent in a similar situation could display that firmness for a relatively much lighter issue, why on on earth did Larry King's parents drop the ball so spectacularly and worse, display the gall to then sue the school; especially when the school did its job within the confines of a nonsensical set of laws, which in the end, set this kid and any others like him up for a lot of hurt, if not worse. In Larry King's situation, it was far worse.
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
The parents should have forced him to dress like a boy and act accordingly, at least at school. And the school should have enforced both their dress code and they gun restrictions!
Law suits are a waste of time for a tragedy like this. It's a lesson that everyone needs to learn.
Comment by Steven Barrett's OpEd Blog
As for lawsuits, unfortunately it's never a waste of time for parents like this kid's. But I sure don't blame anybody else if they were accidently shot and it turned out the school was in any way liable. Who wouldn't?
In this case, however, I think the school went an extra mile to accomodate this kid and keep a lid on things the best it could, given the lack of cooperation it received from his parents. We can't imagine their searing pain and what self doubts they must be having. But I also can't imagine how they can hold the school system primarily liable. If I were the judge, it'd be in the circular file so fast their heads would spin. It'd go up on appeal just as fast, but I see no merit in this; nonewhatsoever.