College Professor Arrested Over Allegedly Closing Laptop On STudent's Fingers

Parents Forum
1

<p>What does a prof do when a snot-nosed student is openly defiant in refusing to close/shutdown her laptop during class? How would you handle it?</p>

<p>[College</a> Professor Arrested and Charged With Battery Over Allegedly Closing Laptop on Student’s Fingers](<a href=“College Professor Arrested and Charged With Battery Over Allegedly Closing Laptop on Student’s Fingers – JONATHAN TURLEY”>College Professor Arrested and Charged With Battery Over Allegedly Closing Laptop on Student’s Fingers – JONATHAN TURLEY)</p>

2

<p>Sort of ironic that this was a class in “mass media” ;)</p>

3

<p>This is obviously a clear violation of the student’s right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Send the swill to Gitmo! Sell his belongings and give the proceeds to Miss I-Might-Have-Broken-A-Nail. Show that Asst. Professor who’s Boss!!!</p>

<p>[signed] Common sense has no place in an uncommon world.</p>

<p>PS, too bad the professor didn’t remove the computer from the student’s desk … that would be a SECOND felony. One more and LIFE IN PRISON!!! Gosh, is this an irrational country … or what?</p>

4

<p>Maybe the moral of the story is that one teaching a course on law and ethics (Law and the Ethics of Media) should be able to know how little is required to be charged with the misdemeanor crime of simple battery in the state in which one is teaching?</p>

5

<p>The prof shouldn’t have closed the laptop on the student’s hand. That was a stupid thing to do on the part of the prof and I imagine the prof would agree with this in hindsight.</p>

<p>It seems that it’d be easy to control this - every time the prof notices a student violating the rules of the class he could drop the student’s final grade by a letter grade. That should get everyone’s attention.</p>

6

<p>^^ Are you sure the charge was misdemeanor battery? In Georgia battery can be either a misdemeanor or a felony. Buy hey, lets look on the bright side … misdemeanor or felony, it’ll be an automatic ten days in jail the next time the professor does it!!!</p>

<p>[Simple</a> Battery in Georgia, GA misdemeanor felony](<a href=“http://www.georgiadefenders.com/assault.battery.htm]Simple”>http://www.georgiadefenders.com/assault.battery.htm)</p>

7

<p>I was going from memory, but it looks like this basic part of the code has not changed. </p>

<p>[§</a> 16-5-23 - Simple battery :: 2010 Georgia Code :: US Codes and Statutes :: US Law :: Justia](<a href=“http://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2010/title-16/chapter-5/article-2/16-5-23/]§”>§ 16-5-23 - Simple battery :: 2010 Georgia Code :: US Codes and Statutes :: US Law :: Justia)</p>

<p>O.C.G.A. 16-5-23 (2010)
16-5-23. Simple battery </p>

<p>(a) A person commits the offense of simple battery when he or she either:</p>

<p>(1) Intentionally makes physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature with the person of another; or</p>

<p>(2) Intentionally causes physical harm to another.</p>

<p>(b) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (c) through (i) of this Code section, a person convicted of the offense of simple battery shall be punished as for a misdemeanor.</p>

<p>What I learned, many a year ago, seems to still stand – If you’re arguing in Georgia, be smart and keep your hands to yourself (and, while not applying to the situation at hand, don’t spit, either).</p>

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<p>Illyria - Nice job. Based on your extracted text, it appears the professor should not have been arrested. But hey what do I know? “Forget it Jake. It’s Chinatown.”</p>

<p>PS, I tried to find something pithy from Macon County Line, I really did … but no dice.</p>

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<p>Depends on if the judge rules the professor caused physical contact or harm to her fingers “intentionally,” doesn’t it?</p>

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<p>^^ No reasonable person would think that closing a laptop lid while a person’s fingers were still on the keyboard wouldn’t have the potential for bodily harm. The only possibility is if the prof ‘thought’ that the student’s hands were well away from the keyboard but that’s not likely.</p>

<p>The prof almost certainly closed it intentionally and likely knew the student’s fingers were in the way. How the prof could not think this might cause contact and possibly harm is hard to fathom. </p>

<p>The prof was clearly wrong on this one (assuming it went down as stated in the article).</p>

11

<p>Where is Old Testament law when we need it … “An eye for an eye, and a pinched pinky for a pinched pinky.” </p>

<p>Yeah, I get that the prof shouldn’t have closed the laptop on the student’s finger(s). I just don’t see a positive outcome anywhere in this story.</p>