While corporal punishment might still be legal in South Carolina according to the legislation records on scstatehouse.gov, one Richland County police officer was suspended after taking it too far when arresting a teenage girl at school.
Student Resource Officer Ben Fields was called into a classroom to remove a disruptive teen at Spring Valley High in South Carolina after she allegedly refused to leave the room.
Although the girl was reportedly uncooperative with Fields, surely none of her actions warranted what came next.
Fields’ actions were caught on videos taken by students on their cellphones that went viral. The videos depict Fields’ grabbing the student by her neck and flipping her backwards in her desk before throwing her to the ground.
I don’t see any explanation of these events that makes Fields’ actions even remotely justifiable.
The sad truth for some students is school is the only place they feel safe.
If they cannot feel safe in school, where are they supposed to turn?
I admit I have heard an increasing number of cases in schools where students show complete disrespect for teachers and in some cases are even violent.
I also recognize that in no way is it acceptable for the teen to have resisted arrest by striking the officer, as Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott claims, according to CNN.
However, these kinds of actions on behalf of authorities are unforgivable and frankly immature.
Violence will never solve violence.
That’s like throwing gasoline on a fire and expecting it to be extinguished.
The girl looks smaller than Officer Fields in the video, and he likely could have easily overpowered her. As far as I am concerned, the force he used to subdue her was excessive.
What kind of example is this setting for other students in the classroom?
To fear the police?
That this kind of violence is tolerated, encouraged even?
I’m sorry, but if I were a student sitting in that class, I would have been absolutely terrified.
Instead of attempting to deescalate the confrontation, Fields acted irrationally.
Simply taking the student to the ground and handcuffing her would have sufficed if he felt her actions were enough to warrant an arrest.
Fields instead went on a power trip and sent a message to all of the students watching in shock: do not make him angry because the consequences will be severe.
Fields’ removal from the force was necessary, as he proved in a matter of seconds how dangerous he can be.
While the duty of police officers is to carry out the law, it is also to protect citizens.
As far as I am concerned, Fields should definitely be required to take an anger management class.
Unless they are presenting a serious threat to others, students should never be made to feel unsafe at school.
tatadams@indiana.edu
@TatianaDeWitt
