Florida students suspended over ‘Kick a Jew Day’

[LancesMom]

Incident follows 'Kick a Ginger Day' controversies

Ten students at a Naples, Florida, middle school have been given one-day, in-school suspensions for participating in "Kick a Jew Day," in which Jewish students were targeted for assault, according to news reports in the local media.

Parents and students at North Naples Middle School told NBC channel 2 in Naples that many students -- all of them Jewish -- were targeted in the attacks, which took place last week.

The station obtained a letter from one parent who said his daughter was a target of the attacks.

"Kids pretender to kick her, and later at lunch, they actually kicked her," the letter stated. "Apparently, many kids, all Jewish, were kicked. I was furious and attempted to call the parents of the girl who initiated this hatred."

School officials reacted immediately to complaints from students, but some in the Jewish community say the punishment for the ten students didn't go far enough.

“You are talking about an incident that has anti-Jewish bias, if not anti-Semitism," Jewish Community Online quoted David Barkey of the Florida Anti-Defamation League. "You have Jewish students being singled out, harassed and assaulted. ... If the allegations are true, it is possible these students violated Florida’s new anti-bullying law. And, if students were physically assaulted, it could rise to the level of criminal conduct.”

But Rabbi James Perman of Temple Shalom in North Naples said it "seems that the school system has taken appropriate measures," though he noted that he hadn't "seen anything like it in my 17 years in Naples."

KICK A GINGER DAY

The "Kick a Jew Day" incident seems to follow in the footsteps of "Kick a Ginger Day," which started as a Facebook group inspired by an episode of South Park, and resulted in suspensions in school districts around the world after red-headed students were assaulted.

The Fox affiliate in Los Angeles reported Thursday that police are questioning 25 students at a Calabasas, California, middle school after seven red-haired students were allegedly assaulted.

Two dozen students at an elementary school near Toronto, Ontario, were suspended last week after taking part in "Ginger Day," the Toronto Star reports.

Metro.co.uk reports that the first "Kick a Ginger Day" was organized for Nov. 20 of last year by a 14-year-old Canadian girl. The girl has reportedly apologized and renamed her Facebook group "Universal Hug A Ginger Day."

What the heck is going on??

[tericared]

Bulling goes on in schools in this counrty every day of the week...no one hears about it until it involves a "group" being the target.....Bullies are rampant and get away with it daily.... 

[mommyofderek]

Bullies will always be out there and if schools did something about it the first time a bully bullied then their would be a lot less bullying. Kids need to be punished!! Parents need to step their game up too... if my son EVER bullies some kid... that will be the LAST time he EVER does it!! I don't tolerate that shit and losing all your privilages and what not will teach the kid. 

[resamerie]

Who are raising these kids that are going around kicking everybody for what they look like or who they are? I am proud to say that I believe my child would NEVER participate in anything like this or she knows good and well where the next kick would be coming from. Fortunately, I like to believe that I've raised her not to even have to threaten her with that.

ETA; in fact, I just asked her if everyone else was kicking someone just because they had red hair and told her to do it would she? She looked at me like I was nuts!  

[LancesMom]

Quoting resamerie:

Who are raising these kids that are going around kicking everybody for what they look like or who they are? I am proud to say that I believe my child would NEVER participate in anything like this or she knows good and well where the next kick would be coming from. Fortunately, I like to believe that I've raised her not to even have to threaten her with that.

ETA; in fact, I just asked her if everyone else was kicking someone just because they had red hair and told her to do it would she? She looked at me like I was nuts!  

Thank You! No matter what "group" it's wrong!

[sarababe55]

nice

[hsteele]

1 day ISS!! That's it? WTF. These kids deserve some real consequences for this bigoted bullying.

[Della529]

That is so wrong.  My kids would be in for it if they did something like this. 

[GoodMomma24-7]

This. 

If only more parents would teach their children not to be such bigots.  It would help if some of them could lead by example...

Quoting resamerie:

Who are raising these kids that are going around kicking everybody for what they look like or who they are? I am proud to say that I believe my child would NEVER participate in anything like this or she knows good and well where the next kick would be coming from. Fortunately, I like to believe that I've raised her not to even have to threaten her with that.

ETA; in fact, I just asked her if everyone else was kicking someone just because they had red hair and told her to do it would she? She looked at me like I was nuts!  

[realPatientMama]

I'm getting sick and tired of hearing this crap. What kind of parenting is that?! Obviously the kids think it's ok to do this.  I don't care if their peers are teaching them to hate a certain group, the Parents need to teach them that it's NOT ok.

These kids probably don't know anything about the Jewish or even why there is a kick a Jew Day. Educate them!

Since when is it cool to hate?

[LancesMom]

Quoting realPatientMama:

I'm getting sick and tired of hearing this crap. What kind of parenting is that?! Obviously the kids think it's ok to do this.  I don't care if their peers are teaching them to hate a certain group, the Parents need to teach them that it's NOT ok.

These kids probably don't know anything about the Jewish or even why there is a kick a Jew Day. Educate them!

Since when is it cool to hate?

Well said Mama, well said!