Jury finds girls, parents liable for maliciously slandering teacher

[ook]

(San Jose, California) Two years after San Jose schoolgirls branded a teacher as a "perv" and "creeper" who inappropriately touched kids and peeked into their restroom, a civil jury Friday found the children and their parents financially liable for defamation in a case that pitted the rights of the accused against the aim of reporting perceived

Comments

[chaya]

The demeanor of the "ringleader," now 14, appeared to have alienated the jury. She giggled often while testifying, and twice got off the witness stand, stood in front of the jury box and demonstrated a dance move and chant a school cheer. The jurors sat grim-faced without smiling.

the fuck?

[maynardsong]

I'd be alienated by behavior like that too, if I were on the jury, TBH.

[silver_apples]

I can see the giggling as nerves, but unless she was asked to demonstrate what she was doing during the incidents, there's no reason for her to even leave the stand, much less dance and cheer. This sounds more like a 5-year-old's behavior than a 14-year-olds.

[_myaugust]

Yeah it's a bit of a weird statement. I mean was she giggling because she was nervous/didn't understand the implications of her actions? Also, was she doing cheers for a demonstration? Like what?!?!

[starsinshapes]

I'm confused by this situation.

[roseofjuly]

That's pretty much all I can say about this.

[leaf_kunoichi]

Here is an article that has what he was accused of, the results of the investigations, and other info: http://www.mercurynews.com/crime/ci_24303892/ex-san-jose-teacher-suspected-sexual-misconduct-sues

[layweed]

is it opposite day

[jupiter_third]

lol mte

[meadowphoenix]

I don't know about this, tbh. I really don't know about holding parents responsible for believing their children. I'd like to know what statements they all made.

ETA: That being said, a highly sensationalized version of this was on SVU 2 weeks ago.

[bellichka]

Right, but there's a difference between believing your child, and spreading BS about a teacher without a) discussing it with administration, and b) substantiating those claims. I work a lot with middle/high school kids, and one thing I'm terrified of is a kid making a false claim in order to "get back" at me for disciplining them, or because they didn't get the part they wanted in the musical.

[ceilidh]

one thing I'm terrified of is a kid making a false claim in order to "get back" at me for disciplining them, or because they didn't get the part they wanted in the musical. Something like this happened to my mom.. she taught 2nd/3rd grade for years and one day a kid decided to say my mom hit her in front of the class, because she was mad at my mom for making her stay in for recess (school policy) after she refused to do any work all morning long. It took several days of questioning the children individually--none of whom saw anything because nothing happened--during which time my mom was suspended without pay. And she never got that pay back. And that child had no consequence for her lie

[bellichka]

Don't forget kids who are being coached by their parents. Little Ricky is accusing Mr. Smith of touching them, so that must mean he touched Bobby and Tommy, too! And we're going to ask him about it again and again until he agrees with us just to shut us up