FL Hulking Florida teen who beat teacher unconscious over Nintendo Switch pleads guilty

[c@tw0man]

A hospital wouldn't be able to cure him, but it could keep him safe, both from himself, and also from the public.

The other residents would be at risk, and deserve to be safe from a violent individual like him. He should never be around other low functioning people, he will eat them for lunch.

 

[c@tw0man]

Yes, that would be the only realistic option that includes a "hospital," IMO.

Yes, a locked facility. No matter where he goes, others will be in danger when he has a meltdown, including the hospital staff.

 

[Chimera]

Id prefer to talk about the victim not the perp. I mean who says he has a problem...every single criminal uses mental illness.
.ruins it for those in need i think

Bbm.
Ita.
Prison is the best option for now, imo.
In a group home setting he may injure or even kill another teen.
In a hospital setting, what if a female nurse makes him upset for whatever reason ? He could do to her what he did to this teacher.
Even with meds he is not safe in public, for sure.
He has shown what he's capable of ... and I believe him !
Omo.

 

[Chimera]

The other residents would be at risk, and deserve to be safe from a violent individual like him. He should never be around other low functioning people, he will eat them for lunch.

Agreed.
Imagine if he wanted another teen's dessert, or their electronic device ?
He will attack again, of that I have little doubt.
Omo.

 

[Chimera]

Yes, a locked facility. No matter where he goes, others will be in danger when he has a meltdown, including the hospital staff.

Maybe he should only be around male staff who have the same strength or are ready to use a taser, if Brendan is attacking another guard or inmate ?
He's a strong teen !
So, prison may be the safest option for everyone.
Omo.

 

[moonriverfarm]

And this is why there is such a lack of good teachers. Who would want to deal with students like that for $40,000 a year?

 

[kari1999]

And this is why there is such a lack of good teachers. Who would want to deal with students like that for $40,000 a year?

I find it odd how his mother allowed him to attend regular schooling while being aware of the extent of his disabilities. Whilst not to this extent, I have doubts that there were no previous red flags of violent behaviour. Even without them, I do not believe somebody with the mental maturity of a 4-6 year old should be attending a regular high school.

MOO

 

[jennytrevor]

I find it odd how his mother allowed him to attend regular schooling while being aware of the extent of his disabilities. Whilst not to this extent, I have doubts that there were no previous red flags of violent behaviour. Even without them, I do not believe somebody with the mental maturity of a 4-6 year old should be attending a regular high school.

MOO

If you read the mother's piece, shared earlier in the thread, you will find your answer as to why she allowed him to go to school.

As far as high school students with the mental maturity of 4-6 year olds, there are many in the school system. Most are not violent.

 

[kari1999]

If you read the mother's piece, shared earlier in the thread, you will find your answer as to why she allowed him to go to school.

As far as high school students with the mental maturity of 4-6 year olds, there are many in the school system. Most are not violent.

I am aware of this, but I find it quite irresponsible due to the fact that he had three prior battery arrests.

 

[housewife]

I am aware of this, but I find it quite irresponsible due to the fact that he had three prior battery arrests.

Oh I see now. They occurred in another county in 2019. And all three dismissed him to a juvenile diversion program, probably because he was only 12 at the time.

 

[airportwoman]

This just plain old sounds like a person who didn't fall through the cracks, because there was no solid material for him to balance on in the first place. Hope you understand what I mean.

 

[c@tw0man]

I find it odd how his mother allowed him to attend regular schooling while being aware of the extent of his disabilities. Whilst not to this extent, I have doubts that there were no previous red flags of violent behaviour. Even without them, I do not believe somebody with the mental maturity of a 4-6 year old should be attending a regular high school.

MOO

I can think of a reason...Free "childcare" during the school hours means "free" time for Mom. Plus, the school is on the hook to pay for all the therapies and special high tech learning aids he needs that may cost thousands of dollars. Mom doesn't even have to find a ride or use her gas to take him to appointments, because they do most therapies at school. Medicaid picks up a lot of the costs, also. Maybe he qualifies for the meals program, and the cost for a tech to sit with him all day. No way Mom could afford all of that.
Educators out there... tell me if I am wrong.

 

[kaen]

That's not a good use of a hospital. Everyone already complains about lack of psych beds. If we expect hospitals to house people who will never get better, imagine how much worse it's going to get.

I work on the school side in a school with students who have significant mental health issues. We go round and round about what to do with highly aggressive students with many different dx's. Hospitals can't and won't treat them for longer than psychiatrically stabilizing/clearing them. Schools struggle because students can not be out of school for suspensions unless it can be proven that their actions are NOT as a result of their disability, which is very difficult. If a student has an IEP that allows for schooling until 21, they have to be placed---- and the mandate is always in the least restrictive environment. Parents who refuse to take their kids home from a hospital even if they fear them are often reported to protective services. If the parent doesn't send the student to school, it is educational neglect. There are very few day treatment programs/residential treatment programs, many with limited spaces. While many states, including mine, attempt to have wrap-around and comprehensive services, the reality is that it is not nearly enough--- limited space, inability to hire competent staff and funding to design and maintain rich and engaging program is fairly non-existent (unless you have the money for a private care situation at over 90k a year). The whole thing is a mess.

IMO, prison is not the place for this young man even though his actions clearly are violent. If he does not have treatment and a program to work on his behaviors, most likely he will get worse. He is young and has many years ahead of him. If he doesn't understand that what he has done is wrong, how can prison be the right placement? I have no answers but certainly see the desire to seem him out of any situation where someone can be harmed. After any situation, he will wind up back home, medicated with a wing and prayer that he won't harm someone again. Intense interventions might help--- I have seen it help.

 

[kaen]

I can think of a reason...Free "childcare" during the school hours means "free" time for Mom. Plus, the school is on the hook to pay for all the therapies and special high tech learning aids he needs that may cost thousands of dollars. Mom doesn't even have to find a ride or use her gas to take him to appointments, because they do most therapies at school. Medicaid picks up a lot of the costs, also. Maybe he qualifies for the meals program, and the cost for a tech to sit with him all day. No way Mom could afford all of that.
Educators out there... tell me if I am wrong.

I am an educator and a mother of a child with disabilities that requires interventions. The whole idea of free time for mom is really not the case for most families I know including my own. We do have our kids for lots of time----nights, weekends, school vacations. The idea that therapies in school (medicaid covered and others) are a great way for me to avoid having to take my child to appointments and additional therapies is also not accurate. The OTs, PTs and SLTs I work with prefer a school setting-- fewer missed appointments, ability to have kids ready to go at the appointment (no need to grapple with separation from parent/care giver), and the ability to see a child's real time functioning in a classroom. The foods provided by school system may be free for many but for mine (other students I know) we try to avoid overly processed foods opting for healthier foods whenever possible, not mentioning allergies that are often present in children with extreme disabilities.

I understand the anger and frustration toward this young man who harmed this innocent worker. I really do. I will say that with good program and good interventions I have seen very impaired aggressive children be able to gain functioning and change behavior. But it takes a lot. Characterizing this young man's family or anyone's family as trying to shift the responsibility to someone else is not fair as there are many people who really are just trying their best in a very difficult and devastating situation. JMHO

 

[Detective Willy]

I think the teacher was unconscious the moment she was flung to the ground.

IMO he would have continued beating her to death if he could have. He wasn't going to stop.

 

[kaen]

In reading his mother's statement from a previous post, there are many issues to be looked at in terms of systematic needs. What stands out to me is the section that she wrote about his IEP and the Switch as a known trigger that should not have been at school. A teacher in a classroom changed the perimeters of what was to happen regarding that kind of technology at school---without regard to the IEP (a legal document) stating that the electronics should not be part of his school day. AS the teacher began to let him and other students have their devices, the usage of electronics rose and crossed many settings of his program. None of that should have happened at all. The idea that at the group home a crisis team was mobilized every night before he was asked to surrender his device was known and the teacher voided all of that prior information and allowed for him to use the device put all in his classroom/program at risk. There should be discipline or an investigation based on this aspect as well.

 

[airportwoman]

I find it odd how his mother allowed him to attend regular schooling while being aware of the extent of his disabilities. Whilst not to this extent, I have doubts that there were no previous red flags of violent behaviour. Even without them, I do not believe somebody with the mental maturity of a 4-6 year old should be attending a regular high school.

MOO

How would a child like this be in regular schooling? I know parents can be in big time denial, but the school cannot mainstream a child who doesn't belong there (or can they?).

 

[airportwoman]

I can think of a reason...Free "childcare" during the school hours means "free" time for Mom. Plus, the school is on the hook to pay for all the therapies and special high tech learning aids he needs that may cost thousands of dollars. Mom doesn't even have to find a ride or use her gas to take him to appointments, because they do most therapies at school. Medicaid picks up a lot of the costs, also. Maybe he qualifies for the meals program, and the cost for a tech to sit with him all day. No way Mom could afford all of that.
Educators out there... tell me if I am wrong.

I wasn't sure which emoji to use, so I picked the laughing one. Therapies are done at school, not for the parents' convenience, but because doing it that way is best for the child. If a child is with other like-disabled kids, it's also quite convenient for the therapists.

 

[kari1999]

I think the teacher was unconscious the moment she was flung to the ground.

IMO he would have continued beating her to death if he could have. He wasn't going to stop.

I agree with this 100%. This is a very difficult case and I do not believe anybody is 100% at fault. This boy clearly has severe mental disabilities and should have been receiving preventative care and NOT attending regular schooling. He has a past history of violent outbursts and children should not be put at risk to them. I hope he receives the care he needs.

 

[kaen]

How would a child like this be in regular schooling? I know parents can be in big time denial, but the school cannot mainstream a child who doesn't belong there (or can they?).

In reading his mother's public statement, it appears he was in an ESE program that had at least one class outside of that classification. In my school, it might be a gym class, music class, or art class. In my setting, the students have these classes in the designated area but not with gen ed students but rather for the specialized content of the class.

"Somehow there was a failure in communication, and the teacher increasingly utilized electronics as rewards over time. On the day of the incident, Brendan was permitted to have his game in the lunchroom and bring it to his non-ESE class. During the manifestation meeting following the incident, it was revealed that he was reminded twice by his paraprofessional to put away his game during that class. Brendan reported he believed he was allowed to use it because the other students were on their phones."