School Daze--A Moral Haze In Gig Harbor

Zero tolerance must be a relative term--at least in Gig Harbor, Washington public schools.

As parents send their kids back to public school this week, a troubling story is emerging from a Gig Harbor middle school.

The teacher led bullying episode happened in a classroom last February, but is only now becoming public as a result of a video taken by a student and the persistent actions of a lawyer working on behalf of the parents.

The teacher, John Rosi, has had problems before, but this time he and other students are caught on video bullying--- pushing, dragging across the classroom, swinging by his arms and legs and putting a sock in the mouth of Karla Kinney's 13-year-old son.

The school district's response?

Pathetic.

First, they suspended the teacher for 10 days. They have now sent him to another school in the district.

The Gig Harbor school is in a daze---and a moral haze.

Would they have taken such anemic action had this 13-year-old claimed to be "gay" or "transgender" or "bi-sexual" or "questioning" or whatever?

The answer isn't "maybe."

Here are a few details and links with the video in a couple of the news stories.


King 5 reports that Rosi received a letter of reprimand in 2005 for helping students prepare for a WASL exam after he had reviewed the test questions.

They also report Rosi had received a 10-day suspension earlier this year because of the incident.

Now the school district has transferred Rosi to Harbor Ridge Middle School, another school within the district.

Zero tolerance?

KMAS 1030 AM and 104.1 FM reports that the video goes on for about 15 minutes.

They also say Karla Kinney told them her son was very upset following the incident and that now the students are blaming her son because the teacher was "punished."

She said, "He wanted to kill himself, the kids had blamed him for this popular teacher and the suspension he received."

What was this teacher thinking?

The case is now being investigated.

Teacher Rosi has told the investigators, "I can honestly say that at the time I did not believe that any of the children were at risk of harm during their interactions. Nor did I view the incident as anything more than harmless childhood horseplay."

Watch the video and see if you think it was childhood horseplay in light of the "zero tolerance" that has been put in place by homosexual activists and a complicit public education industry.

The teacher is leading the bullying. In today's environment, it is not horseplay.

I repeat. If this child had ever suggested he might be "gay," do you think this episode would have been merely swept under the rug with a 10-day suspension and a new job across town---in the same school district?

The school district's superintendent, Chuck Cuzzetto, says that "pretty significant disciplinary action was taken."

With all due respect, Superintendent Cuzzetto, 10 days with pay and continue your career uninterrupted in another school near by is not "significant disciplinary action." I don't think very many people will buy that. The teacher moves on under the protection of the union and the administration, while the 13-year-old child continues to pay the emotional and social price for something teacher Rosi led.

This illuminates how very flawed the so-called "zero tolerance" policy really is and the negative affect political correctness is having on the culture within the public school as it focuses on indoctrination, rather than education, in what could be aptly called the "social experimental zone" as it exists in the moral haze of public education.

The child's mother, Karla Kinney, says she and her husband feel that the entire matter has been made worse by the fact that Rosi is now back at another school.

She says, "I think somebody who can allow this to happen and participate has no business being in a classroom."

I agree.

Let's hope Gig Harbor clears their collective head, steps out of the moral haze and does the right thing.

Be Vigilant. Be Discerning. Be Prayerful. Be Active. Be Blessed.