Checking the archives at the Star
However, our reader points up, in an email sent Friday, that this teacher had been suspended two years ago in a similar incident -- and that the story was reported by the Star's Amy Bartner. (Ironically, the idiotic comments section of Thomas' story also notes that the teacher in question has a history).
Here's what the disgruntled Star reader said:
"Another example of poor reporting on Indystar. Jason Thomas had a
story about a Perry Township special education teacher who has been
suspended after she was accused of abusing a little special-needs girl. Apparently this act was witnessed by an Instructional Assistant. Here is the story, if you haven't seen it:
http://www.indystar.com/article/20090320/LOCAL1801/90320029
"Apparently young reporters aren't taught to check the archives to see
if anything has previously ran on the subject. If he had, he would have found that two years ago this month, Amy Bartner ran a story about the same teacher being suspended after being accused of abusing an 8 year old autistic student.
"It's such a shame that newsrooms have gone from being a place where
j-students aspire to end up to being the place where they start their
careers." (Amen to that...)
The reader then tagged on Bartner's story from 3/10/2007, which is included here:
"FRANKLIN - A Creekside Elementary teacher has been suspended after a
parent told police she discovered bruises and marks on the wrists of her 8-year-old daughter, who has autism.
"Special services teacher Trinda Barocas is on paid leave until the
Johnson County Sheriff's Department and Creekside Principal Sally
Jones complete investigations, said Franklin Schools Superintendent
William Patterson.
"'Any time there's a report of behavior that might be construed to be
inappropriate, it's a concern, but obviously we have to investigate to
find out the degree to which the behavior was inappropriate or not
inappropriate,' Patterson said.
"Michelle Henson, 30, Franklin, said she called the Sheriff's
Department on Wednesday after a nurse riding the school bus home with her daughter told her she saw Barocas force-feeding her daughter and restraining and slapping her hands in the lunchroom that day.
"'When I came inside to take off (my daughter's) jacket, she kept
saying, 'Ow, ow,' " Henson said Thursday. "There was a mark on her
wrist like something was holding her down.'
"Barocas , who has been with the school for about a year, could not be
reached for comment Thursday.
"Henson said she's had problems with Barocas in the past. She said on
one occasion, she walked into a classroom and saw Barocas holding her daughter's arms behind her back.
"'She doesn't speak that much because she's autistic, so she can't come
home and say, 'Hey Mom this is what the teacher did to me today,' Henson said. 'If she's doing this to children who can't talk, is she trying to hide something?'
"Henson said she approached the school's principal before filing a
report with police. She said her daughter is fine and a happy,
resilient girl, but the incident has upset her.
"'When I send my child to school, I want to feel like she's safe there.
If she's treating my daughter like this, how is she treating the other
kids in the class?'"
This earlier story raises all sorts of red flags. One has to wonder, if a reader could pick up this thread, how the newspaper managed to miss it....and will they correct it by doing more reporting?
Probably not.
Comments
Comments are closed.
Links
- http://harrisontherecord.wordpress.com/
- http://www.sheilakennedy.net/
- http://hadenoughindy.blogspot.com/
- http://www.indyparking.com/
- http://hoosiergardener.com/
- http://gannettblog.blogspot.com/
- http://sharpwordworks.com/blog/
- http://bradburyhouse.blogspot.com/
- http://www.indianabarrister.com/
- http://captaincritic.blogspot.com/
- http://wakeupnaptown.com/
- http://bartonlawllc.com/
- http://indydemocrat.blogspot.com/
- http://www.hoosierpoliticalreport.com/
- http://ipopa.blogspot.com/
- http://www.masson.us/blog/
- http://www.gannettoid.com/
- http://www.howeypolitics.com/
- http://www.indianalawblog.com/
- http://www.poynter.org/
- http://www.editorandpublisher.com/
- http://sadbastards.wordpress.com/
- http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/
- http://www.munciefreepress.com/
- http://www.bilerico.com/
- http://indytaxdollars.typepad.com/
Archives
- Sep 2016
- May 2016
- Apr 2016
- Aug 2015
- Jul 2015
- May 2015
- Mar 2015
- Oct 2014
- Sep 2014
- Aug 2014
- Jun 2014
- May 2014
- Apr 2014
- Mar 2014
- Feb 2014
- Jan 2014
- Dec 2013
- Nov 2013
- Sep 2013
- Aug 2013
- Jul 2013
- Jun 2013
- May 2013
- Apr 2013
- Mar 2013
- Feb 2013
- Jan 2013
- Dec 2012
- Nov 2012
- Oct 2012
- Sep 2012
- Aug 2012
- Jul 2012
- Jun 2012
- May 2012
- Apr 2012
- Mar 2012
- Feb 2012
- Jan 2012
- Dec 2011
- Nov 2011
- Oct 2011
- Sep 2011
- Aug 2011
- Jul 2011
- Jun 2011
- May 2011
- Apr 2011
- Mar 2011
- Feb 2011
- Jan 2011
- Dec 2010
- Nov 2010
- Oct 2010
- Sep 2010
- Aug 2010
- Jul 2010
- Jun 2010
- May 2010
- Apr 2010
- Mar 2010
- Feb 2010
- Jan 2010
- Dec 2009
- Nov 2009
- Oct 2009
- Sep 2009
- Aug 2009
- Jul 2009
- Jun 2009
- May 2009
- Apr 2009
- Mar 2009
- Feb 2009
- Jan 2009
- Dec 2008
- Nov 2008
- Oct 2008
- Sep 2008
- Aug 2008
- Jul 2008
- Jun 2008
- May 2008
- Apr 2008
- Mar 2008
- Feb 2008
- Jan 2008
- Dec 2007
- Nov 2007
- Oct 2007
- Sep 2007
- Aug 2007
- Jul 2007
- Jun 2007
- May 2007
- Apr 2007
- Mar 2007
- Feb 2007
- Jan 2007
- Dec 2006
- Nov 2006
- Oct 2006
- Sep 2006
- Aug 2006
- Jul 2006