Teacher Accused Of Duct-Taping Boy To Desk

Middle School Teacher Gets 10-Day Suspension
POSTED: 11:12 pm EST February 12, 2008

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A middle school teacher accused of using duct tape to bind a student to his desk was suspended for more than a week without pay for the alleged incident.

The Duval County School Board voted on Tuesday to suspend Kasey Goodin for 10 days without pay.

The school board made its decision after hearing the teacher's version of what happened inside the Kirby-Smith Middle School classroom, WJXT reported.

The district said Goodin told investigators the taping incident was a joke.

However, board members didn't think it was funny.

"It's just not funny for a child to be taped, whether it's in jest or it's a disciplinary measure," said school board chair Betty Burney.

In Goodin's written account of what happened in the classroom, the teacher said, "There was a light-hearted mood in the class as I walked to the supply closet and removed a roll of purple duct tape and a roll of masking tape … The class was laughing. I was laughing. The student was laughing."

WJXT was told Goodin took that duct tape and taped the student's leg to his desk before she used the masking tape to tape his hands and his face.

"The masking tape was applied to the student's hands. The student immediately removed it, laughing throughout the incident. Within the next few minutes, the 'play' was over, the tape was removed," the teacher wrote in her statement.

She ended her account stating, "This incident, was in reality, an opportunity to have fun with the students while getting a message to them. Looking back, I know that it was inappropriate for me to break the lines of formality."

The student involved has since been removed from Goodin's classroom.

"The reason why we didn't go for something as severe as dismissal, it did appear at least it started out as something more lighthearted," said Duval County Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals.

Board members said the teaching position at Kirby is the teacher's first job and she has shown good behavior in the past.

"I understand that it was a young teacher. I just felt that we needed to send a stronger message," said Burney.

Burney was the only board member who voted against Goodin's 10-day suspension, saying she didn't think the punishment was harsh enough.

Board members also voted that the teacher should get counseling.

http://www.local6.com/news/15287294/detail.html