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Update: Police report reveals teacher's side of incident in which boy 'voted' out of class
Morningside Elementary kindergarten teacher Wendy Portillo told Port St. Lucie police she wanted 5-year-old Alex Barton to hear how his behavior was affecting his classmates. After students shared their view, she had them vote, but said the vote was only to keep him out of class for the day, not for good.
Oh, that makes it OK. Musta forgotten to mention it to the kids. One day or forever, the damage is done, bi+ch.
"Portillo said she did this as she felt that if (Alex) heard from his classmates how his behavior affected them that it would make a bigger difference to him, rather than just hearing it from adults," according to a report released Thursday morning from the Port St. Lucie Police Department.
Oh, how rational and balanced. I defy you to try it again.
Alex's mother filed a complaint with Morningside's school resource officer about the May 21 incident, saying her child told her he had been voted out of class at the encouragement of the teacher. She told the officer that after she talked with Portillo about the voting, Portillo "blocked the door for about five minutes to prevent me from leaving the classroom with my child, who was visibly shaken by the abuse."
Another sign of how rational this teacher is. False arrest? Kidnapping?
Alex was in the process of being tested for Asperger's Syndrome, a type of high-functioning autism, at the time of the incident. His mother, Melissa Barton, said a private psychologist officially diagnosed him Tuesday with an autism-spectrum disorder and attention deficit disorder.

Portillo and children in the class said Alex was pushing a table up with his feet while he was under the table. She got the school resource officer to remove Alex from the classroom. It was the second discipline referral for Alex that day, the report said.
Oh, how horrible.
When Alex returned to the class, Portillo said she and the class were not ready for him to return.
Yeah, a kindergartner pushing his desk with his feet can really be traumatic to his classmates, who are probably knocking over other kids toys, falling on their faces, screeching, crying and picking their noses.
Portillo told the officer she asked Alex to join her at the front of the class.
Careful, Portillo. You have 16 kids to act as witnesses.
"She said she then asked him to listen to what the children didn't like about the things he did, and she asked him how it made him feel," the report said. "She said at this time, 'We polled the class' to see how his peers felt about his return at that time."
All according to standard procedures developed and administered by a certified educator, of course.
Alex was voted out, 14 to 2.

Alex told the officer Portillo called his classmates' names out and they said "disgusting" things about him. "I asked (Alex) what the students said, and he said the students said he eats paper, picks boogers and eats them on top of the table and bites his shoelaces," the report said. "He told me Mrs. Portillo said, 'I hate you right now. I don't like you today.'"
It's part of the procedure, so it's OK. Notice the clinical language the professional educator uses when she describes the technique she exercised on the FIVE YEAR OLD?
The officer asked Alex how the incident made him feel. "He said it made him feel sad," Alex said according to the report.
Yep. In an age of esteem is king, this fits right in with accepted procedure.
Alex also told the officer that Portillo scratched him, stepped on his shoelaces, grabbed his leg and pulled his shirt collar, but the report said Portillo and other children in the class refuted those allegations.
Where? In class or on the way to the principal's office?
Portillo told the officer after he left with Alex that day, she talked with the other children.
I'll bet she did. Probably the only receptive audience she's going to find aside from the teacher's union.
"Portillo said she explained to them that the students in class were all her priority and she would protect them like a 'bear defending her cubs,'" the report said.
Including Alex. But heaven forbid she should tell them to have some compassion for him. My what a pickle she was in.
Alex hasn't been back at Morningside since the incident.

The state attorney's office and Port St. Lucie Police Department concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed.
And the teacher gets transferred. Hopefully to a madrassah in a tribal region of Pakistan where she belongs. Wearing a tattoo on her forehead that says Allan Sucks.
Posted by: gorb 2008-05-30
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=240407