Coach and Players suspended after duct taping Austic boy to goal post

[Akhilleus]

This actually happened almost a week ago, but I didn't see any discussion on it here. So what happened was several players on a high school soccer team had taken their autistic teammate, and duct taped him to the goal post. He was left there screaming for about fifteen minutes until an off-duty state trooper found him.

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014...stic-boy-allegedly-duct-taped-to-soccer-goal/

Now the coach has been suspended, as well as the players involved. But I for one am horrified at this story, and I'm horrified at how some people have reacted to it as well.

I'll start off by saying I don't think the coach should be directly tied to the duct taping incident. Obviously he didn't know it was going on, but at the same time he had to have know his players weren't treating their other teammate right. I mean let's face it he has an autistic child on his team, and he really should be treated differently than the other kids. Maybe not directly, but in the Coach's mind at least he should have kept an eye on him. He should have made it clear to his team that his players were supposed to be there for the kid, to defend him. Not hurt him. That's how it's supposed to be. You hear all these stories where teammates of mentally challenged kids get them the touchdown, and lift them up in the air and make them feel incredible. And this is just completely the opposite, and it's horrifying.

Another thing though that I found disturbing was that many people were saying that other than the fact that the kid is autistic, it's just mild hazing. Uh, what the hell? This isn't Dazed and Confused, it's not the 70s anymore. You can't just go around beating people with wooden paddles and duct taping them to goal posts. Now don't get me wrong I think some of the things they're striking down on like expelling first graders for poptarts shaped like guns and arresting you for giving your child a bath is ridiculous. I also think that the whole "stomp out bullying" thing is also a little over the top.

But hazing like that is one thing that needed to be controlled and fixed, and it goes way past the little name calling that they're all focusing on. Taking someone against their will and duct taping them to a goal post, whether they're autistic or not, is not okay whatsoever.

Other than name calling I wasn't really "bullied" in school. Nobody touched me, or gave me wedgies, or gave me swirlies, or any of that stuff. But if they did, I would have raised freaking hell. I might not have been able to physically fight back at that time, but snitch or not I would have made sure they got theirs. If the school didn't do anything about it I would have contacted the police, then the news. That shit is just...not OK. And now that I'm in college if I were to get "hazed" in some way or another, I would make sure they don't get away with it. It's not a prank when it goes that far.

These kids in the article aren't middle schoolers either. They are 16 and 17 years old. They're young adults getting ready to graduate, and go into the real world. I think that's by far an old enough age to know right from wrong. Any thought of any of those kids going to a four year university, maybe even community college, can just go down the drain. And I don't have any pity for them either.

I'm sorry because I'm really more so ranting at this point, but this story just fired me up big time.

 

[AlexWWE21]

This is just sick. People in the world these days are just down right awful. You know I have some things to say about people, but I better not. I wish people would just be nice like they used to.

 

[Reflection]

I don't even know what to say man. These are just pathetic human beings, you know... The people that create a bad name for the whole country. There are no excuses for actions like these. The first thing that comes to my mind is that they should be given the strictest of punishment, but obviously that's not gonna happen because of this very 'civilized' world that we live in.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I'll start off by saying I don't think the coach should be directly tied to the duct taping incident. Obviously he didn't know it was going on, but at the same time he had to have know his players weren't treating their other teammate right.

The authorities surely have to question the coach, at the very least. Yes, if he knows damn well that some of his players are bullies, yet never interceded in anything they did outside the realm of playing football, he might get away with explaining his way out of trouble.

But, that's it. If it can't be proven he was in on the whole thing (and I'd hate to think he even had the slightest suspicion it was going to happen....that's too scary to even consider) I wouldn't suspend him. Yes, we're a society that loves to place blame wherever possible, but I can't believe the coach would have condoned this action on the part of his players.

I detest the concept of bullying. Like the OP, I was never bullied in school but the knowledge it was happening to others was so contemptible it made me sick. The idea of a person making someone feel bad in order to make themselves feel good is something that should be punished severely.

In this case, even without having all the details, I would put the coach on warning to keep a closer eye on what his players are doing.......and expel the players involved.

Not suspend......expel. Let 'em explain why on their college applications.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

A situation like this happened at a high school in the town I grew up where numerous football players decided to "haze" the rookies by beating them with paddles (I believe one used a lead pipe on a kids ass too but not entirely sure). Every kid that was apart of it got kicked off the football team, most got suspended for a month and the captains (who premeditated this) were expelled. I would say that's worse than what the OP is talking about but I felt all players in that situation should have been expelled, and I feel the same way about this. There is such a thing as slight hazing but these kids went way too far in my eyes and a week only suspension is quite frankly insulting and also gives the message that these kids can do pretty much anything they want and only get a slap on the wrist as punishment. You can argue that expulsion is too much but they Duct Taped an autistic boy to a goal post, make an example out of the little fuckers and send a message that shit like this won't be tolerated in any way. If the school treats this as "slight hazing" then this type of stuff will keep happening. Unfortunately bullying is something that will never go away, it will always be around but it can most certainly be minimized, not only from schools stepping in and taking charge of the situation but teaching kids how to handle it if/when it does happen.

In regards to the coach I don't think he should be suspended. Unless they can prove he was either in on the situation or turned a blind eye to it then I don't think its fair to suspend him. The coach is only going to know so much when it comes to his players and in this particular situation he can't be held responsible because his team decided to be a bunch of assholes. Its fine to question the coach, find out if he can fill in anything but if he knows nothing then its not his fault, he's a football coach, its his job to teach his kids football and teamwork, that's about it. It isn't his job to teach these kids to be outstanding individuals, these kids are old enough to know not to pull crap like this.

 

[Daggdag]

A bunch of meathead jocks with too much self confidence. Good thing their bodies will be used up by age 30. And then they starve and die because they are too stupid to work a normal job.

 

[A11oftheLights]

There are always two reactions to this. Some will say its boys being boys kind of thing, others will take the complete opposite approach.

Firstly I will offer a hypothetical question, what would the reaction have been like if he wasnt autistic? Now I'm not saying its unfair because an autistic kid is going to react differently to someone without autism. But would it get this much coverage or as harsh a punishment(not that the punishment is really that harsh)

They've obviously crossed the line, but minor hazing should really be allowed. But to do it you need people who are actually mates and know what people will and wont get offended/overly angry about. For example I made a joke once about my mate's parents not being together(which isnt really hazing someone) and he laughed because he doesnt care, but i'd only do it to him because I know he's going to laugh and doesnt care. Which is where society is wrong these days, the whole stomp out bullying campaigns would come down hard on someone who made a comment like that even if it is said between two friends

 

[TheICChampion]

They've obviously crossed the line, but minor hazing should really be allowed. But to do it you need people who are actually mates and know what people will and wont get offended/overly angry about. For example I made a joke once about my mate's parents not being together(which isnt really hazing someone) and he laughed because he doesnt care, but i'd only do it to him because I know he's going to laugh and doesnt care. Which is where society is wrong these days, the whole stomp out bullying campaigns would come down hard on someone who made a comment like that even if it is said between two friends

Well, see, here's the thing with that. And yes, as I say this I want you to know that I realize I had made a major mistake in saying this to him, but a few years ago a pretty damn good friend of mine and I were hanging out having a duel (Yu-Gi-Oh card game) and I was quoting the abridged series when I said "Why don't you go crying to mommy? Oh, that's right, you don't have one!". His mother had died a while back. Now, I knew it wasn't exactly the best thing to say, but I thought "Surely he knows I'm not being serious, and that it was just harmless trash talking. Besides, had he said something about my father, who's also dead, I could easily let it go." Well, that was not the case, as he decided to end the friendship. So even if you supposedly "know" how someone is going to react, perhaps it's still best not to go there.

 

[A11oftheLights]

i'd previously held back and substituted in another joke and when he said it was shit i told him i didnt want to cross the line with a joke about his parents which he said wouldn't crossed the line and i should've said it. We now both know that its all fair game. We often make jokes in a group message on facebook but the two of us will make even worse jokes that are in the poorest of taste on the side in another message.

 

[Akhilleus]

I disagree with the thought that any hazing should be allowed. Because there is a difference between pulling a prank and hazing someone. And there is also in my opinion a clear line between minor hazing and serious hazing. For example, a lot of groups use hazing as a form of initiation. Telling someone they have to streak nude in order to be allowed into the club is hazing, but they must have the option to say know. You can't force anybody to do anything against their will.

That's when you get into some more serious forms of hazing. Where you get taped to the goal post, or beaten with paddles Dazed and Confused style. This is NOT okay. Any point where you are literally forcing someone to do something via threats and intimidation is where it crossed the line in my mind.

With that being said I entirely agree with you. Had it not be an Autistic child then it would never have gotten anywhere near the coverage it got. In fact it probably wouldn't have left the school let alone the district. To add to your point there I actually got this news article locally, so it really isn't even that huge of a story to begin with. However the way the school handled it is similar to how the United States Justice System would handle a case. When there are aggravating circumstances, the outcome usually tends to be a lot more severe.

To me though it would not have made a difference. With the whole "Stand Up to Bullying" fiasco they have going on in schools nowadays, I am honestly surprised how many schools tend to turn a blind eye to these sort of hazes. These are the things schools need to focus on! Not suspending second graders for calling their friend fat. But yes when you add on the fact that this is such an aggravating circumstance it does fuel the punishment in the end. It's the same with anything else. Would the murder of an autistic woman not get more media attention than the murder of a normal adult male? It goes both ways too, as there are also mitigating circumstances in law and in daily life. For example, had it been the autistic boy doing the prank the punishment would have been entirely different. The school has to use discretion with things like this, we all do really, because if we didn't then everything would be by the book and nothing would work out.

 

[A11oftheLights]

Oh yeah paddling someone and all that shit is fucked up. But the basic stuff like streaking isnt really that bad. Pretty much if its up to the individual to do it and he or she cant be forced then it should be ok. For example you cant force someone to streak because they have to physically run themselves but you can forcefully tie someone up.