I thought this case would put schools on notice too, in how they handle those kids that have or may have mental issues. And also that the school/school employees would definitely be prosecuted specifically those who had the authority/capability to address EC and his issues.
I'm not sure if I think they should be penalized but there is a responsibility to protect all students in those jobs. The student having problems and all the rest. So there should be some type of close examination of what they may have done wrong or that they did the best they could. And I do feel sorry for them (all the adults there) too - the students are not the only ones who suffered trauma that day, and after.
This is why I can't talk anyone into going into teaching; this is why people don't want to be teachers (about half quit pretty quickly).
If my responsibility now extends into mental health (and not just teaching - actually teaching English and math and history and social science and music and the arts - is the job we were hired for), I'm out of it.
And every teacher I know is balancing this. Retire now? Quit now? But we are NOT mental health professionals. Neither are LE.
I am very sure that teachers should not have to be experts on mental health in order to avoid personal liability. And that's where we are. Lack of education makes mental health issues worse, I am convinced. Blaming teachers for not being therapists, well, I have a bias. Many, many teachers are not capable of sussing and figuring out mental states. Indeed, it would be another issue (should people on the spectrum be allowed to teach? Many are very good teachers and really, really know their subjects)? But they are not necessarily able (no more than the average person) to conclude who is mentally ill.
So teachers don't last; new teachers have no context; we older teachers are retiring. Good luck with education in a system that does this (I strongly urge people to look at the history of education, its peak, its decline - especially in the many European nations, each of which have different experiments running).
As a teacher, with large counseling staff available (unlike high schools), I can't imagine trying to task teachers with noticing mental health issues. I could write a book on the this - and no conclusions could be drawn. I started teaching 46 years ago. AND I have an interest in mental health.
IMO.
