# Idiot Teacher Strikes Again **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 24, 2006, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449 "2006-01-24T21:31:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Carnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carnick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnick)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/141 "2006-01-25T23:02:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Gotcha. Because you don’t like the way this kid photographs, he’s automatically wrong and possibly retarted. There’s a difference between being retarded and acting retarded. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/142 "2006-01-25T23:22:31Z")
OK First, to give **Casey1505** his due, he may have a point, slightly incoherently expressed: The **dickhead teacher** may have intended it as an object lesson, a fact that escaped the principal’s acumen. (I use the terms “teacher” and “acumen” loosely here.) It’s a particularly foul way of doing things, and is contraindicated by a couple of the teacher’s comments, but given the subject matter, he may have been attempting to make a point about mob behavior and pariahdom. The outlined acts are, however, abuse under Pennsylvania law: > [@](#): > > PENNSYLVANIA: Statute prohibits recent act or failure to act resulting in physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, **or emotional/mental injury**. Statute contains exemptions for religion or poverty. (from [here](http://law.enotes.com/everyday-law-encyclopedia/89960), bolding mine) And **Casey** , I too pity your son. And I’d like to explain why, because I think you’re missing a point here. Not because he doesn’t have to learn to “roll with the punches” of life; no doubt he does. But because you’ve made it quite clear in your comments here that as he grows up, at age 10 when he’s bullied in the schoolyard, at age 13 when he’s feeling emotional turmoil at typical junior high behavior, at age 16 when he’s being threatened by other students, that he cannot turn to his father for any support, that all he’ll get from you is instructions to “suck it up and be a man.” If he has the moral strength to survive that, I’d appreciate your letting him know that there are decent people who **do** care about his emotional well-being out there, even if his father doesn’t. And if he ends up suiciding because he can’t deal with his problems alone and can’t talk to you, I promise that I will try not to rub your face in how you fucked him over as you’re grieving. I couldn’t give a shit about how you feel about me, or about anybody else on this board. I’m being gratuitously offensive to you right now for the specific purpose of waking you up what you may potentially be doing to your son by holding that attitude. Because **he** doesn’t deserve that kind of shit, from you or anybody else. I’ve seen far too many cases where a “my kid’s gotta grow up tough” father ended up leaving a young person with major emotional problems. (Hell, I lost a perfectly good wall in my house once, that a kid I was trying to help punched his fist through in anger and frustration.) **You** personally can hold any kind of dickheaded attitude you choose to. **But, dammit, don’t do that to your own kid.** ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/143 "2006-01-25T23:25:55Z")
> [@The Mad Hermit](#): > > Do you think they would be this supportive if the teacher was being a dick? As we all know, there are _no_ high school students who act like dicks, or who support or encourage others in acting like dicks. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/144 "2006-01-25T23:50:45Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > And **Casey** , I too pity your son. And I’d like to explain why, because I think you’re missing a point here. Not because he doesn’t have to learn to “roll with the punches” of life; no doubt he does. But because you’ve made it quite clear in your comments here that as he grows up, at age 10 when he’s bullied in the schoolyard, at age 13 when he’s feeling emotional turmoil at typical junior high behavior, at age 16 when he’s being threatened by other students, that he cannot turn to his father for any support, that all he’ll get from you is instructions to “suck it up and be a man.” If he has the moral strength to survive that, I’d appreciate your letting him know that there are decent people who **do** care about his emotional well-being out there, even if his father doesn’t. > > And if he ends up suiciding because he can’t deal with his problems alone and can’t talk to you, I promise that I will try not to rub your face in how you fucked him over as you’re grieving. > > I couldn’t give a shit about how you feel about me, or about anybody else on this board. I’m being gratuitously offensive to you right now for the specific purpose of waking you up what you may potentially be doing to your son by holding that attitude. Because **he** doesn’t deserve that kind of shit, from you or anybody else. > > I’ve seen far too many cases where a “my kid’s gotta grow up tough” father ended up leaving a young person with major emotional problems. (Hell, I lost a perfectly good wall in my house once, that a kid I was trying to help punched his fist through in anger and frustration.) **You** personally can hold any kind of dickheaded attitude you choose to. **But, dammit, don’t do that to your own kid.** Why don’t you shut the fuck up right now before you make any more of a sanctimonious, busybodying ass of yourself? You know exactly squat about **Casey** and the relationship he has with his son. Fuck you for opening your yap and preaching down to another man from your position of monumental ignorance on how you think he’s screwing up his kid. Generally speaking, the various arguments and squabbles here either leave me emotionally unaffected or amuse me, but you genuinely piss me off with this one. If he had asked you for advice on child rearing it would be different, as it is I think you should butt out. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/145 "2006-01-25T23:51:17Z")
> [@The Mad Hermit](#): > > Do you think they would be this supportive if the teacher was being a dick? High school, teenagers, peer groups and cliques, blood in the water, a weak target to put down and prove your ‘superiority’… Naw. That’s crazy talk. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/146 "2006-01-26T00:02:04Z")
> [@Ploycarp](#): > > First, to give Casey1505 his due, he may have a point, slightly incoherently expressed: The dickhead teacher may have intended it as an object lesson, a fact that escaped the principal’s acumen. (I use the terms “teacher” and “acumen” loosely here.) It’s a particularly foul way of doing things, and is contraindicated by a couple of the teacher’s comments, but given the subject matter, he may have been attempting to make a point about mob behavior and pariahdom. But the teacher would’ve said so if that were the case. As it is, all he said was, “Well we won the Championship, didn’t we?” I might give him a little bit of a pass if he thinks the two are related. It may be some bizarre religious ritual designed to propel the Steelers to victory. In that case, it still has no place in a public school, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/147 "2006-01-26T00:12:42Z")
> [@The Mad Hermit](#): > > Just so I don’t get misunderstood, I’ve been following the story on the news- my opinion, based on what I’ve heard and read, is that it started as harmless fun but the teacher took it much too far when he failed to appreciate the mood of the student. The only reason this is a national matter is the fact that the STEELERS ARE IN THE SUPER BOWL- (woohoo)! So insulting a student, making him sit on the floor, having his classmates encircle him and assault him is “harmless fun”? Methinks that some of the apologists on this board have never been subject to the kind of abject humiliation that gets heaped upon the unfavored in school. To have a teacher participate–nay, instigate–such behavior is beyond excuse. > [@The Mad Hermit](#): > > It seems that the class was an honors courseon ethnic problems, that each student had to sign a waiver because they would be subject to ethnic humiliation as part of the course, and the other students in the class wonder why it was such a big deal. So, to follow your logic, in a psychology class students should be subject to, say, emotional abuse or sexual molestation so that they can understand the disorders they cause? > [@The Mad Hermit](#): > > Do you think they would be this supportive if the teacher was being a dick? Wait…were these _the same students who participated in the act of humiliating_ the individual in question? Objective supporters, eh? I don’t know about your school experience, cobber, but when I was in gym class the jocks had pretty much free reign to bully whoever they liked, and they supported and were supported by the coaches. I guess that makes it all right, then, no? I remember the kinds of fathers that felt that a little abuse would “help toughen 'em up”; they usually had sons that turned out to pick fights, harass younger and smaller students, and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer when it came to sex. But with such great role models, how can one expect less? Stranger ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/148 "2006-01-26T00:14:20Z")
\*\*FinnAgain, Anne Neville, \*\* I never said that the students weren’t wrong; I was saying it may not have been as severe in their minds. I never said there wasn’t bullying; i repeated the “facts” as given by the local media. Now idf you’re going to call me crazy, then fuck you very much. Don’t use me as your fucking strawman. The teacher was a dick for not seeing how uncomfortable the student was. As we all know (snerk), any teacher that makes one student uncomfortable should be placed on Death Row and executed post-haste. Why is this an indictment of all Steeler fans? It’s the timing. If this happend in March, or if the Steelrs lost the game, nothing would have been reported to the national media. The media whores appreciate your mindless support. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/149 "2006-01-26T00:21:29Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Why don’t you shut the fuck up right now before you make any more of a sanctimonious, busybodying ass of yourself? You know exactly squat about **Casey** and the relationship he has with his son. Fuck you for opening your yap and preaching down to another man from your position of monumental ignorance on how you think he’s screwing up his kid. Generally speaking, the various arguments and squabbles here either leave me emotionally unaffected or amuse me, but you genuinely piss me off with this one. If he had asked you for advice on child rearing it would be different, as it is I think you should butt out. You know something? I don’t remember ever, ever signing an agreement giving you any censorship rights or netnanny permissions over what I say or don’t say on this message board. And I’ll thank you to take your attitude, fold it until it’s all corners, and perform a self prostate massage with it! :mad: Like I said to him, I don’t care what he does or doesn’t do with his life, or what his attitudes are or are not. I happen personally to have known quite a few people who have been adversely affected by parents espousing the sorts of attitudes he has been expressing in this thread. And it’s that kid’s welfare that I’m concerned about. If Casey happens to be one of those people who talk big about being manly but would immediately jump to the defense of his son, then there’s no problem between us, and he’ll tell me what I can do with my advice. But it was intended as a wake-up call if he really means what he says and is trying to inculcate that tough-guy stoic attitude in his kid. (And a few kids thrive on it, but far more don’t. And it genuinely pisses **me** off that if I’m right, there’ll be some poor kid in northeast Pennsylvania hurting and thinking that his father doesn’t give a shit. And to save that from happening to Casey Jr. if I **am** right, I’ll gladly piss you off, **Scumpup** , a hundred times. Because I don’t care what you think, and I don’t particularly care what Casey thinks. And I could care less if the Pittsburgh Steelers win the next ten national championships or go bankrupt and the franchise is moved to San Antonio. But I **do** care about some boy who may or may not be able to depend on his father in future years. And if my post serves to wake Casey up ( **if** he needs it) then that’s worthwhile. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/150 "2006-01-26T00:22:34Z")
Stranger, you didn’t see that I said it went too far? Just like the other assholes, you seem to think I apporve of the treacher’s actions- so I assume you think that the student’s side is th only one to hear and what do you propose to do about it? NO, IT DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT, it’s a little out of proportion. he didn’t have sex with the student, did he? One class period of very questionable teaching methods does not make all Steeler fans rabid idiots. The “harmless fun” was probably the first thirty seconds. The teacher was too stupid to stop it befor eit went too far- and he didn’t mnake iyt very clear that he intended it to be a lesson, not a personal attack. I think \he’s a jerk for using the Broncos jersey to make his point; it drags too many people into the mix who don’t belong- people who have nothing to do with the incident. No, each of you spin what is said to make yourself look better. Jerks. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/151 "2006-01-26T00:38:54Z")
Polycarp, I can assure you that you’ll be the first person I turn to if I need parenting advice from a complete stranger. The manner in which I raise my son is quite a bit different than my take on an isolated incident I read about on a message board. The fact that you can extrapolate from that that I’m not giving him moral strength, don’t care about his emotional well being, that he can’t talk to me about things, am fucking him over and driving him to suicide is absolutely arrogant on your part. I took no offense at what you said. I didn’t take it all that seriously either. Not that you particularly care. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/152 "2006-01-26T00:54:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Why is this an indictment of all Steeler fans? It’s not. I never said it was. It is, however, an indictment of the teacher and of all the students in the class who participated in throwing wadded up paper at this kid. The students were participating in humiliating this kid- they’re in the wrong, too, as far as I’m concerned (with the exception of that one girl), and they have an ulterior motive for minimizing what happened to this kid. A lot of people will do something they think is wrong to go along with [authority](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment) or [their peers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asch_conformity_experiments), but we all like to think we wouldn’t do something like that. These kids, if they admit that they took part in abusing this kid, have to confront a very dark side of their own personalities, which isn’t easy. If one of them were my kid, I’d have a long talk with him or her about treating people the way you want to be treated, and about how it doesn’t make it OK to do something wrong just because the teacher told you to do it, or because everyone else is doing it. The parents of that girl who refused to participate, by the way, should be _damn_ proud of the job they’ve done raising her and teaching her right from wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/153 "2006-01-26T01:05:58Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > But I **do** care about some boy who may or may not be able to depend on his father in future years. And if my post serves to wake Casey up ( **if** he needs it) then that’s worthwhile. Once again, fuck you…you overweening, sanctimonious, arrogant, ignorant busbodying sack of shit. I’m kind of old fashioned about a few things. One of those things is that I strongly believe in keeping your nose the fuck out out of people’s family business unless your input is solicited. _Yours_ wasn’t. Shut the fuck up and stay out of it. I don’t know **Casey** from Adam, but I’d think you were every bit as much of an asshole for criticizing anybody’s family life the way you did his. You are dogshit. You are the dogshit that dogshit scapes off its shoes. It’s pointless to say so, but you should crawl on your face up to the man and beg in the humblest terms to be forgiven your unforgivable impertinence. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/154 "2006-01-26T01:15:56Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > One of those things is that I strongly believe in keeping your nose the fuck out out of people’s family business unless your input is solicited. Would you say the same thing if someone admitted, in a post on this board, to physically abusing their child? **Polycarp** and I strongly believe that teaching your kid to “suck it up”, in a case like this, constitutes emotional abuse. We also strongly believe that emotional abuse should not be tolerated any more than physical abuse is. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/155 "2006-01-26T01:25:20Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#): > > Would you say the same thing if someone admitted, in a post on this board, to physically abusing their child? > > **Polycarp** and I strongly believe that teaching your kid to “suck it up”, in a case like this, constitutes emotional abuse. We also strongly believe that emotional abuse should not be tolerated any more than physical abuse is. Sometimes, as you pointed out with your physical abuse example, unsolicited advice/opinion/whatever, is necessary. However, some may hold views about what goes on with others that wouldn’t exactly apply to themselves or their loved ones. **Casey** is going off what little information we have and his own personal experience. And he’s offered up his take on what happened, and although I disagree, I think it’s extremely overboard to intimate that because of that, he might be a bad father and possibly pushing his son to suicide. I agree that emotional abuse is just as bad as any other kind. Been there, done that. Regardless, I believe one should have a _little_ more knowledge of a situation before they come down that harshly on anyone, only with a handful of small posts to backup a supposition. I really don’t think **Casey** , due to what he believes about _this_ circumstance should have to defend his home life, which isn’t even an issue. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/156 "2006-01-26T01:26:18Z")
> [@The Mad Hermit](#): > > \*\*FinnAgain, Anne Neville, \*\* I never said that the students weren’t wrong; I was saying it may not have been as severe in their minds. But… so what? > [@The Mad Hermit](#): > > I never said there wasn’t bullying; i repeated the “facts” as given by the local media. And confirmed by the school. > [@The Mad Hermit](#): > > Now idf you’re going to call me crazy, then fuck you very much. Thin skinned much? You asked, and I quote: “Do you think they would be this supportive if the teacher was being a dick?” I pointed out that students and teens in particular aren’t exactly known for shying away from dickish behavior. > [@The Mad Hermit](#): > > The teacher was a dick for not seeing how uncomfortable the student was. No. The teacher was a dick for instigating that shit regardless of how comfy the student was with it. > [@The Mad Hermit](#): > > As we all know (snerk), any teacher that makes one student uncomfortable should be placed on Death Row and executed post-haste. What was it you said about strawmen and fucking? Making students uncomfortable is not a horrible offense. Going out of your way to heap emotional abuse on a student for wearing the wrong sports shirt is . > [@The Mad Hermit](#): > > Why is this an indictment of all Steeler fans? Please quote anywhere, at all, where I’ve used the word “Steeler”. I’d wager I don’t have a single post on the Dope using that word. So I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about. > [@The Mad Hermit](#): > > It’s the timing. If this happend in March, or if the Steelrs lost the game, nothing would have been reported to the national media. So? Would it have been any less a violation of sound pedagogy if it happened in December or May? > [@The Mad Hermit](#): > > The media whores appreciate your mindless support. My mindless support for best practices and sound pedagogical rationale? Mind pointing out any of my arguments in this thread which are “mindless”, or is this another strawbeasty like the Steelers comment? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/157 "2006-01-26T01:36:56Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#): > > Would you say the same thing if someone admitted, in a post on this board, to physically abusing their child? > > **Polycarp** and I strongly believe that teaching your kid to “suck it up”, in a case like this, constitutes emotional abuse. We also strongly believe that emotional abuse should not be tolerated any more than physical abuse is. What you believe, in this case, isn’t germane. As a teacher, I am legally bound to report suspected child abuse. I would do so even if not required for moral reasons. We aren’t talking about physical abuse, though. We aren’t even talking about a demonstrable or suspected case of child abuse. What we _are_ talking about is **Polycarp** making a long string of insulting and inflammatory comments about the way Casey raises his son based on brief discussion of an isolated and unrelated incident. **Polycarp** wouldn’t be going too far to hand **Casey** a walking stick and offer him his back to try to make ammends for this. Casey is no particular friend of mine. I don’t remember ever encountering him before this thread. I am motivated by disgust at **Polycarp’s** monstrous arrogance and presumption. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/158 "2006-01-26T01:40:55Z")
> [@The Mad Hermit](#): > > Do you think they would be this supportive if the teacher was being a dick? Sure. I remember high school; it was The Land of the Dicks. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/159 "2006-01-26T01:44:46Z")
Man, I was criticizing **Casey** ’s parenting skills way before that Johnny-come-lately **Polycarp** showed up, and did I get called dogshit? No, I got a fuckin’ _compliment_! There ain’t no fuckin’ justice, I tells ya. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449/160 "2006-01-26T01:59:22Z")
I thought you felt bad that my son has what you consider to be an asshole for a father. I didn’t think it was a critique of my parenting. Sorry I misunderstood. In any event, **Scumpump** , I don’t think the verbal beatdown of **Polycarp** is really called for. I’m not asking for an apology, and I don’t think one is necessary, quite frankly. He said what he felt, as out of place and misguided as it may have been. Hell, I ain’t winning any popularity contests in this thread, but I don’t feel the need to apologise for it. Neither should he. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-teacher-strikes-again/341449.md?page=9)