Mom Arrested And Shackled After Her Honor Roll Student Sick, Missed More School Days Than Allowed
Victor Skinner writes for eagnews that Julie Giles, a Georgia mother and substitute teacher, was arrested, shackled, and jailed last week because her honor roll son was sick and missed more days than his school allows.
Giles wrote:
Sam has had 6 more unexcused absences (an absence without a doctor's note) than the county allows per year this year. I received a certified letter Saturday about this issue and Keith [my husband] contacted the [Board of Education] on my behalf yesterday while I worked subbing. I have been notified that a warrant for my arrest will most likely be issued. My family's doctor has written a character reference for me, and I have the support of many [Board of Education] employees, but at the moment it still appears I will be arrested. If the Sheriff and the Attendance Officer moves forward I will be given the opportunity to turn myself in. I spoke to a county employee yesterday that says arrest IS likely.
Giles added:
... the doctor reissued 3 excuses that Sam didn't turn in, so basically I am being arrested for THREE days
From Skinner's piece:
Giles wrote that she wasn't informed about her son's absence problem until days before her arrest warrant was issued."I believe that education is paramount. I understand that attendance is a crucial part of academic success. I know that laws need to be put into place to protect children, but putting parents in shackles isn't the answer. I feel that the actions taken against me show no real concern for my son," she wrote, according to MadWorldNews.com.
"Surrounding counties implement social worker visits, more meetings, and set a court date before police action is taken. Only is a warrant issued in these areas when the court date is missed. This abuse of power is hurting families. Both of my sons have been traumatized. I believe that there needs to be more than one meeting with the parent before the parent is arrested."
That sheriff is a shame upon his county and this country.
And the police wonder why the "law abiding" citizens (these days peaceable is a better term) don't support them so much anymore.
Tar and feather the school board/admin and all the legislators/bureucrats who passed this "law".
Sio at May 31, 2015 1:09 PM
Disgusting! The school should be working with the parents if there's a problem, not criminalizing them. What kind of message does this send to the students and the parents?
Schools have been likened to a prison and the resemblance has just gotten stronger.
Patrick at May 31, 2015 1:15 PM
Disgusting! The school should be working with the parents if there's a problem, not criminalizing them. What kind of message does this send to the students and the parents?
Schools have been likened to a prison and the resemblance has just gotten stronger.
Patrick at May 31, 2015 1:16 PM
Look on the bright side. The boy is an honor roll student and the state just made him a libertarian. He'll question authority for the rest of his life. Those are the young people we need.
Canvasback at May 31, 2015 2:17 PM
she is a sub teacher - as part of the educational system she should have known better.
Since the link keeps jumping all over the place when I open it (something a lot of local news sites do for me) I didn't get to read it all; so, what was her excuse? Did she not have time? if so, then how did she find the time to Facebook about it instead of handling it properly?
As for her using the word "shackled" I see that as a bit of overkill on the drama. When cops do arrest someone - no matter what the crime - should they allow some to not be handcuffed while others are? That would be considered discrimination by many. So, she broke the law, she has to pay the price. And if the law requires her to be arrested that would involved handcuffs (or "shackled" as she seems to prefer). And what about her husband? What is his involvement?
Again, she is a part of the educational system herself and should have known better.
charles at May 31, 2015 2:19 PM
Know better than to what Charles?
Send a sick kid to the doctor instead of school?
Trust her kid to turn in the doctors note so she didnt have to waste a day to drive down, and wait 45 minutes after a pat down to gain entry, just to hand off a peice of paper excusing an abcesnce?
I'd sue the school. The school is demanding proof of medical care as a valid excuse for missing a day, sounds like a possible federal HIIPA violation under privacy laws.
How does the school verify that the note isnt forged? Seems to me an enterprising teenager could make quite the mint selling doctor notes to kids looking to skip school.
lujlp at May 31, 2015 2:45 PM
Why is it that only the wife is going to jail? Why not her husband too? Just the assumption that only mom is responsible for the kids?
jjak at May 31, 2015 4:06 PM
The note only has to say the doc's name and day excused, so probably no HIPPA violation. There's almost always some detail left unmentioned in stories like these. Unless the kid has chronic health issues, 6 absences sound excessive.
Allison at May 31, 2015 4:17 PM
I think Julie Giles misunderstands the nature of the relationship between her, her son Sam and the state. She assumes that because she gave birth to Sam, she is his mother. By their actions the county sheriff and the Board of Education seem to be asserting that she is not, that the prerogatives of parenthood are the state's, and the role Julie Giles is Sam's compulsory wet nurse and the government's bitch.
Ken R at May 31, 2015 4:25 PM
lujlp: "How does the school verify that the note isnt forged? Seems to me an enterprising teenager could make quite the mint selling doctor notes to kids looking to skip school."
Reminds me of the doctors writing fraudulent notes for teachers who were breaching their contracts and acting like idiots in the streets of Madison a few years ago.
Ken R at May 31, 2015 4:41 PM
Unless the kid has chronic health issues, 6 absences sound excessive.
School year is 180 days
School year is now over or almost over for most schools
6/180= 1/30
One day once every six weeks seem excessive?
lujlp at May 31, 2015 11:54 PM
Yeah, 6 absences still sounds a little excessive- I have never missed that much school myself, neither have either of my kids- and it was actually 12 for this kid. If you accept that its the government's job to educate your kids, than its your job to see that they show up.
Allison at June 1, 2015 6:03 AM
What is the days he missed were the monthly teacher work days where the kids come to school just long enough to trigger payment from the government but not long enough to learn shit?
lujlp at June 1, 2015 8:20 AM
Maybe he had mono.
Anyway, I'd pull my kid out a homeschool if I were in this situation. I'd probably also run for school board so I could be a gadfly to this school system.
ahw at June 1, 2015 9:13 AM
In my neck of the woods, if you miss too much school they don't prosecute the parents, they just kick you out.
Matt at June 1, 2015 9:15 AM
...but I'd wager that her kid skipped some school and didn't tell her about it. I was an honor student, too. I skipped school- or at least certain classes. I was, however, careful to keep track of how many absences I had.
Truancy should not be a legal issue. It should not be against the law.
ahw at June 1, 2015 9:17 AM
Oh, man, if my parents got arrested because I forgot to take doctor notes to school, there would be no end to the punishments I would receive (and I was also an honor student). Nowhere in the article is it mentioned how she dealt with her son's involvement in this. Yes, the arrest was excessive and uncalled for, but she has problems at home that should require more of her attention.
Fayd at June 1, 2015 9:19 AM
If I'm reading the article, it's 6 absences OVER what the school allows per year. My kids' school handbook handles absences this way: Students missing more than 6 days per course per semester or 12 days per course per year will not receive credit for that course.
Suffice it to say, the kid in question here has likely missed several days. Any parent, especially one in the school system, knows the rules. They have student tracking where if you have a computer and the desire to check up on your kid, you can see every paper, every grade, their lunch balance, their attendance record, their conduct -- you get it. No more sweating out until report cards, you know exactly what grade you're getting now.
I think part of this is egregious on the part of any police force to police parenting in this manner. It's gross. However, these parents need to get their heads out of their cell phones and parent a little more and this wouldn't happen.
gooseegg at June 1, 2015 10:33 AM
@Fayd, If my mom got arrested because I forgot to give the notes to the teacher, I'd have been eating pizza and pancakes for a year because they're all that would fit under the door. I think I would have had to join the witness protection program. This parent was asleep at the switch.
Allison at June 1, 2015 11:16 AM
The theory being that a lack of attendance results in a lack of familiarity with the material. Since most of my high school teachers taught straight from the book, I don't think this theory holds up.
Test the kid. If he passes, get off the mother's back.
Conan the Grammarian at June 1, 2015 1:50 PM
Come off it Conan. You know as well as I do that attendance policies were never about education. They are about higher level government funding. And those requirements are all about making sure little Johnny isn't taking good union jobs away from a possible union member.
Restrict the supply of labor and the price goes up. Education is a side show for the real goals.
Ben at June 1, 2015 2:33 PM
Not that anyone will ever admit it. They'll hold that attendance is required to absorb and understand the material.
Home Schooled kids are beating the pants off the non-truant public school kids in several measures of educational success. Obviously, attendance at a teacher's lecture is not actually necessary to grasp the material.
So, if the habitually truant kid understands what he's supposed to have learned, let the mother go. He's met the requirement.
"The kid who spent six weeks in the bathroom got an A." ~ Mark Harmon (Summer School)
Conan the Grammarian at June 1, 2015 3:46 PM
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