Flagrant fragrance gets gassy student bounced

Maybe the 13-year-old student at Martin County's Spectrum Junior/Senior High thought he was being funny by repeatedly and purposely passing gas during computer class.

His teacher, D.C. Carden, didn't bust a gut over the boy's breaking wind - not to mention his continuous turning off classroom computers - so he gave the boy a referral and sent him packing to the school resource officer for a little talk.

SRO Warren Pettaway asked the (perhaps) obvious question: Did the boy deliberately cut the cheese (and the computer lines)?  "He subsequently informed me it was factual, and I informed him as a result of his behavior he was being charged with Disruption of a School Function," Pettaway wrote in his report.

That's right. The boy was arrested for farting. He was released to his mom. No word on what he did in the car on the way home.

(Thanks to the Stuart News for the story tip.)

*

Comments

[dwad wdad]

I farted...

[Brent]

No person human or not can fart at will any time. This is a matter of class disruption. Though I would have sent him to detention.

[Ken]

UNCONSTITUTIONAL your faith is misplaced.

[Ken]

The kid was charge with a misdemeanor by the sheriff's department. Read the report. What is wrong with all of you who said he had that coming? It's a real criminal record he's dealing with now.

[New Perfumes]

Well Is this how they solve problems and waste taxpayers cash?SRO Warren Pettaway should be fired if this is how he handles situations like this... wow,what a waste of time and resources.
That aside there are many funny comments on here to keep it on the ligh side:)Fartin' Martin yours was very good!

[lucylee]

I have trained myself to ignore the farting that goes on in my classroom. I simply keep my instruction moving even thought i may be gagging.

[Candy apple]

How does bowel gas shut off computers?

[Tony]

Gregory | November 22, 2008 at 01:06 AM
YOU DID Not read the arrest report. The SRO is a sworn law enforcement officer.
Alex I attend most if not all of my kids school functions, contribute to fund raising efforts and know their teachers and principal and speak with them on a regular basis. My kids don't pull crap like that in school, since they are good kids and know my wife and I would not tolerate disruptive behavior from them in school or at home. If you opinion differs from mine that is fine, but why do you think you are above others? And yes, if you take the time you will see me at parent night, at football games, basketball, PTO, school advisorary board meeting( I am a member at eastlake ) and many other functions.

[It'saJoke]

Another teacher, this issue is endemic of our society, not because of the parents and students. I know for a fact that the biggest issue that teachers have to fight is from the school board, from fighting for pay, to supplies and to basic respect in their profession. All teachers have to jump through so many bogus hoops in order to make sure that kids are testing properly. Why are kids so bored? All the adults want to shift responsibility unto the kids, because the adults have no rights in this country anymore. Only in this country do the people that pay all the taxes actually have no say so over what is happening anymore. People want to be empowered, but anymore that aren’t even empowered over their families. There are so many dysfunctional people, trying to help me fit into their mold that if I should even think about disciplining my children, I could potentially have Social Services all over me and be arrested by the neo Nazi police militia that has recently come to power. Time to wake up people!! This is a societal problem, not a child problem.
Parents can’t be parents, children can’t be children and tax payers and citizens can’t be in charge, because there is always someone smarter and more educated to help us all manage our lives.

[It'saJoke]

Wow this Country is really becoming a Joke. All the PC people need to go suck an egg....then get a life!!

[justthinking]

The point is he was "farting" on purpose. I have had students who deliberately ate things they knew would make them fart. They loved disrupting the entire class. This wasn't a once a month thing.. It was a two or three times a week thing. Very disruptive for the students who actually wanted to learn. He was a wise guy who got nailed! He earned it.

[so sad]

Teachers don't need to deal with that. It isn't the point that he was farting, the point was that he was purposefully disrupting the classroom. Besides being immature, it is disrespectul to the teacher and other students who may actually want to learn something. Too bad his parents didn't teach him manners. Good riddance!

[BettyBoop]

His parents should be very proud!

hey what if he needed to pull one so what.Everybody does it so why sjould he be arrested?

[alloypony01]

Is smoking allowed if No then the shut head should leave school grounds ( or leave ) What a Jerry Springer Special ( for dim bulb only )

[hall monitor]

This story made http://detentionslip.org ! Check it out for all the crazy headlines from our schools.

[BBMOM]

Who cares?
This is a waste of time. We have more important issues to discuss. We don't know the whole story so we couldn't possibly give an educated response. All school districts are concerned about possible lawsuits so I'm sure there is a lot more to the story than was reported or known to the general public.

[teacher w/ brain]

Ed, shutting off computers has nothing to do with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

[ran]

also, check out my website. click on your over 14 and your in.

http://ran-the-monkey.livejournal.com/4443.html

click on my name and that will take you there.
also, top left of the site--click on PREVIOUS ENTRY.

[ran]

Well, i see we are going to see more police will be needed on the streets for this.

[Ed]

If the boy gets a doctor to say that it is a medical condition, then the school district could loose millions in a lawsuit for violating the ADA.

[Gregory]

The kid was sent home, not arrested (@ article writer); there is no "crime" (@ tony). The "officer" is a school resource officer, which probably is a cross between a guidance counselor and a security guard.

And the kid was disrupting not only the air (which doesn't matter), but the computers (which does). Give him three days of mopping cafeteria floors or whatever passes for detention in Florida, and let it go.

[Obbop]

My farting kid can whip your honor roll brats butt.

[Bill]

Think the economy is bad.
Lost your job
Can't pay your bills.
Can't even buy groceries
Losing your home.
Electric going up 25% Jan 1.
Iran has the Nuke.
Obama got elected.
Hilliary's still around.
Worried about global warming

I could go on and on, but, this is what really worries me.

[jp]

This story is assinine.

[pirate]

Oh my, just last week a "student" at my school
got one day in ISS for bringing a knife to school.

[Pat Connolly]

Come now, Iggy. The press would NEVER deliberately dupe the readers.

[JJ Poulter]

Even Shakespeare used farting gags in his plays - in fact the oldest known written joke dates back to the Pharoes about a newly married lady 'never did fart on the lap of her husband' - sidesplitting stuff, obviously. So farting has always been amusing for some reason. As for the kid, hmmm. Criminal? Abit much. Back in my posh British school days he would have been summarily dealt with - especially if he was unplugging people's computers during class (a big no-no) - straight off to our headmaster (nicknamed 'Block' on account of his imposing stature) and his rear end would have been set afire in an entirely different way than perhaps the unruly student may have imagined - with a long, twangy cane, and six, accurately delivered strokes! Works a treat.

[Pat Connolly]

What is shameful is that this topic seems to be generating more interest than the truly important issues facing education in this area. Maybe if we focus enough on this silliness we can completely forget about our real problems.
I can see HF's memo to Solochek now: "Jeff, give the plebians something else to distract them. Let's make them forget all about waste and abuse and failure to negotiate in good faith. Where are the wizard substitutes and sex scandals when you need them? Darn, I wish I had kept that principal around, throwing him to the wolves now would be a nice diversion."
Yes, I know I am adding to the clutter by commenting on it.

[Iggy Android]

The child in question was given a referal for 1. Being Flatulent and 2. Turning of the computers in "Computer" class.

Everyone is just assuming that it was for farting. The author convinently leaves out what exactly the charge stemed from and dupes you with the title.

There are to many missing facts for anyone to make an objective judgement of the situation.

Reminds me of when Fart Simpson wrote on the chalkboard "I will not flatulate in class"

[Another teacher]

This is great! I never knew this was a statute! Teachers, wake up! Students can be charged with a misdemeanor for disrupting the class. I love it!

877.13 Educational institutions or school boards; penalty for disruption.--

(1) It is unlawful for any person:

(a) Knowingly to disrupt or interfere with the lawful administration or functions of any educational institution, school board, or activity on school board property in this state.

Please, people. Wake up and realize that it is time that teachers take their classrooms back. The whole society of "no more corporal punishment" and "no one touches my child", and "kids will be kids" is such a load of bull. When teachers cannot teach anymore because students and parents have no respect for the system that they are entitled to, then schools have to resort to these tactics. I say it's about time.

[darter22]

For farting, no. For disrupting class and turning off computers, yes.

[Mickey]

Hahaha OMG that's funny. When I was in Jr. High me and the guys would take turn farting while running cross country or in the track field. That's stupid he got arrested. He's just being a guy teenager.

[http://www.filthyrichmond.com]

He fartid in ma mouf!
FilthyRichmond.com

[publicschoolteacher]

Do you think the teacher was actually teaching when he/she had to deal with this kid? What about the 25 other kids in his classroom? Why should they be denied a quality education because this kid is trying to be the "class clown?" If I were a parent of any of the well-behaved students in that class, I'd be demanding some results.

All the teacher did was write a referral, which is totally appropriate. I doubt the SRO would have made the arrest if this was the kid's 1st disruption or if he was being totally respectful to the officer during their "little talk." Hopefully by forcing the parent to become involved, the problem will be squelched.

This is almost as good as the six-year old kindergartener on the sex-offenders list.

[Edward Ringwald]

This is another example of overzealous and power-hungry school officials out of control. Doesn't these school officials and law enforcement have something else to do than arrest a student for passing gas in school? It may sound embarassing at the most but it does not merit criminal charges.

[Big Pauly]

Can somebody pass the beans?

[Mike]

Read the report idiots. I am sure he would not have been charged if he was not turning off computers of students doing work. I am sure the farting was a part of it, but you don't pull the plug on someone who is trying to do school work. This kid was out of control, so action was taken. This stupid brat deserves this punishment. Open and shut.

[Jen]

If the kid is doing it to be obnoxious then yes - he should be sent out of the classroom! There is a teacher and other students being disrupted.

If the kid is doing it because of an illness, the parents need to take the kid to a doctor and address the problem.

If this is indeed an alternative school then this arrest is even more ridiculous. Alternative and/or drop out prevention schools take on the kids who cannot for whatever reason behave appropriately in class or are at risk of dropping our for other reasons, i.e. truancy. If these kids could behave as expected and flourish in mainstream schools they would not be in the alternative setting in the first place. Repeated disruptions are not uncommon in these schools and if a staff member cannot handle those they are in the wrong place.

[what]

Unconstitutional, are you trying to say that talking out of your ars constitutes free speech?

[Alex]

For proud proactive father TONY....you are the problem with education today...not the teachers or the schools...THE PARENTS! The kid was sent packing because he kept shutting off the computers. Also, this was an alternative school. These are schools for students that have been out of control at other schools before. Don't worry, with your attitude, your kids will be in one of those soon. When I meet a parent like you (who never has an A student for a child by the way) I know exactly why their child is wasting time and energy on everything but getting an education.
See you parent night Tony,,,oh, that's if you have a beef...parents like you never show up just to stay on top of their child's progress or behavior.
Al

oooh by the way when i was in school we had sro's also.. but they didnt go after us for farting. dam they got us for the good stuff. and never took us to jail just scared the farts out of us

in a way this is a joke. but also the school has a responsibility to make sure the kids in the class get an education. this child some of you are laughing about, is what we now call a problem chid...way back when... he was called the class clown. i myself wouldnt have him arrested but made to just sit at the front of the class doing nothing while the others got to do there work. give him after school detention, then notify daddy...hopefully now a days he wouldnt be scared enough to whip jr's butt for being a fartmaster.
in todays world we need to keep the parent informed but also let them know we're not gonna put up with there little brats crap.

[GoWestYoungMan]

Out west farting is acceptable behavior. However, in the east it's a big no no!

[UNCONSTITUTIONAL]

This would not hold up in court for 5 seconds. This is a false arrest with malicious intention. This is a 1st amendment freedom of expression and speech issue.

[rick]

RE;ValuesVoter You may be a good teacher but please read the article ,he didn't cut computer lines he shut off computers and all you have to do is push button on to restart. The only thing he cut was farts and class with the moron school resource officer’s help. He being the class clown {I assume} now has found out he’s the talk of the school, he probably can’t wait now to plan his next caper for the attention; we might now have created a monster. I know there is always that one kid in each class that drives the teacher nuts and the teacher didn’t do anything wrong but, this was handled very badly by the school and SRO.The question wasn’t if he did it or not it is why and how can we nip it in the bud before it grows. Maybe the next time the SRO has him jailed ,or even saves us the court time and takes him out back and have him shot geez!Such stupidity by the SRO, there must be someone unemployed that is more qualified than him and knows how to handle certain situations.

[Gus Gruerio]

Now farting is a problem..this country is getting absolutely ridiculous