Student Named "Osama" Harrased by Teachers

[Thunder]

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_162184544.html

Definately not cool. And it was the teachers...not his fellow students...who taunted him.

[Comrade Ogilvy]

"This one time in gym I was sitting and it was the beginning of the semester and he said, 'Where's Osama?' and I said, 'Right here.' And he goes, 'I thought you'd be in back of a cave somewhere,'" Osama said.


Kinnda funny....but I will have to see how this plays out, could be another family just looking to get rich from a law suit. Besides with a name like that I bet it won`t be the first or the last time he gets teased. I wonder how many kids were traumatized during WWII for having the first name of Adolf?

[strathmeyer]

After Osama's grades plunged and he fell into a deep depression, he eventually tried killing himself. He later dropped out of school.

On Monday, the family announced it is suing the city and the Board of Education for violating Osama's civil rights.

Hmmm.... I hope they win damages equal to the estimate income this lad would have earned over a normal lifetime.

[Comrade Ogilvy]

Hmmm.... I hope they win damages equal to the estimate income this lad would have earned over a normal lifetime.


That`s the ticket...redistribute wealth through frivolous law suits...THE NEW AMERICAN WAY!

[Checkmite]

The lawsuit isn't frivolous. Only a complete (insert expletive here) would make fun of a student because of the kid's name. Complete (repeat above-referenced expletive here)'s deserve to be sued for any reason that works.

I bet the idiots probably snort-laughed when making the "jokes".

[Alt+F4]

Of course, no attempt to interview the teachers in question.

[Solus]

The kid probably would have likely developed that depression anyway. Lots of children had odd names and do not try to kill themselves. There was a guy in my elementary school with the name Adam Wiener. I'd take Osama over that name any day of the week.

[strathmeyer]

That`s the ticket...redistribute wealth through frivolous law suits...THE NEW AMERICAN WAY!

I'm sorry, but how badly can I ruin a child's life without expecting repercussions? And remember, I'm in a position of power and have been previously warned about my behavior.

[Comrade Ogilvy]

The lawsuit isn't frivolous. Only a complete (insert expletive here) would make fun of a student because of the kid's name. Complete (repeat above-referenced expletive here)'s deserve to be sued for any reason that works.

I bet the idiots probably snort-laughed when making the "jokes".

Like I said..we will see it all play out....whether it`s true or not.


Where's Osama?' and I said, 'Right here.' And he goes, 'I thought you'd be in back of a cave somewhere,'" Osama said.

SIMPLY DEVASTATING....SIMPLY DEVASTATING....Haaaaaaaa...Haaaaaa...

[Comrade Ogilvy]

The kid probably would have likely developed that depression anyway. Lots of children had odd names and do not try to kill themselves. There was a guy in my elementary school with the name Adam Wiener. I'd take Osama over that name any day of the week.


I bet he grew up to be a Sex Therapist....

[WildCat]

The lawsuit isn't frivolous. Only a complete (insert expletive here) would make fun of a student because of the kid's name.
I've had teachers make fun of my name. Probably because I was a smartass...

[Unabogie]

I've had teachers make fun of my name. Probably because I was a smartass...

Well, that makes sense then. If I had a student whose last name was Smartass, I'd make fun of him too. Maybe the teachers had your brothers as well, and you come from a long line of Smartasses?

:)

[corplinx]

My name is Jeramy and as a child I was called Germy. I'm going back and sueing.

[Mobyseven]

Hmmm.... I hope they win damages equal to the estimate income this lad would have earned over a normal lifetime.

Unfortunately, that estimate would not be very high - he is only a high school student, which means that his estimated earning will be estimated lower than, say, a university student, or an person established in the workplace. Factors such as the quality of the school, his family's socio-economic standing and his performance in school prior to the taunting would be taken into account, but there's no way that it will amount to anything really substatial.

For what it's worth, I hope the court hits them hard for exemplary damages. Make an example of the defendants.

[Checkmite]

I've had teachers make fun of my name. Probably because I was a smartass...


Well, that's different. You had them make fun of your name. I'm sure this kid probably didn't ask for it...

[BPSCG]

I'm not a fan of lawsuits over hurt feelings, but this jumped out at me:

His parents say they held countless meetings with school officials who apparently did nothing to stop the ostracism.If that's true, how else are the parents supposed to get the school officials' attention?

Seems to me the school administrators had a duty to talk to the teachers and tell them this was unacceptable behavior and that if it continued, the teachers could expect repercussions. I know it's almost impossible to fire a New York City teacher, but surely something could have been done to stop this.

BTW, I recommend the kid stick with "Sam" even after he turns 18. There are a lot of a-holes out there in the world; they're not all high school teachers. There's good precedent for that - as Comrade Ogilvy points out, "Adolf" isn't a popular name any more, for good reason. Retired NBA basketball star Dolph Schayes was born in New York in 1928. He didn't use his given name, Adolph. Can you guess why?

[ImaginalDisc]

"This one time in gym I was sitting and it was the beginning of the semester and he said, 'Where's Osama?' and I said, 'Right here.' And he goes, 'I thought you'd be in back of a cave somewhere,'" Osama said.


Kinnda funny....but I will have to see how this plays out, could be another family just looking to get rich from a law suit. Besides with a name like that I bet it won`t be the first or the last time he gets teased. I wonder how many kids were traumatized during WWII for having the first name of Adolf?

When I read that story I wondered how long it would take a poster here to excuse that kind of behavior on the teacher's part. Just one post after the OP. I'm impressed.

[Just thinking]

... There's good precedent for that - as Comrade Ogilvy points out, "Adolf" isn't a popular name any more, for good reason. Retired NBA basketball star Dolph Schayes was born in New York in 1928. He didn't use his given name, Adolph. Can you guess why?

Hey ... I liked his meat tenderizer (http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/farawayfoods_1949_26983182)!

[BPSCG]

Hey ... I liked his meat tenderizer (http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/farawayfoods_1949_26983182)!Happy Birthday, Just thinking!

[Darth Rotor]

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_162184544.html

Definately not cool. And it was the teachers...not his fellow students...who taunted him.
Don't people use nicknames anymore? Has anyone called him Sam? Speaking of names, when is the last time someone named their daughter Monica?

DR

[BPSCG]

Don't people use nicknames anymore? Has anyone called him Sam? Speaking of names, when is the last time someone named their daughter Monica?

DRWe named our snow blower Monica.

About five years ago, we were having a drink with a couple of other neighbors. Well, it was more than a drink. Winter was approaching, and someone said, "Hey, we should get a snow blower! We could split the cost three ways, and the once or twice per winter that we get serious snow, we'd be happy we'd made the investment!"

Then someone suggested we could charge our neighbors to blow their snow. Maybe we could make a business out of it! (You can see the liquor had been flowing merrily.)

"Yeah! What do we call ourselves?"
"How about Snowjobs and Blowjobs, Inc.?"
"Yeah! We could name the snow blower 'Monica'!"
"And we could paint some Mick Jagger lips on the side, with a cigar hanging out of the mouth!"

We did buy the snowblower (two-stage, not one of those little POS's) and we rotate whose garage it goes into every November. We've agreed the blower ownership interest conveys with the house; you move out and whoever buys your house takes your place - you don't get bought out by the remaining owners.

We still haven't painted the lips and the cigar, and while we do often dig out our neighbors, the next time we charge anyone will be the first.

But at some point every November, whoever has the blower in his garage fires it up and makes sure it's ready.

He then announces to the rest of us, "Monica's ready to blow."

[Ziggurat]

There was a guy in my elementary school with the name Adam Wiener. I'd take Osama over that name any day of the week.

Could be worse. Could have been Peter Wiener.

[ponderingturtle]

Could be worse. Could have been Peter Wiener.

Well today is the aniversery of the case where a Richard Loving become famous. One wonders if he ever went by Dick.

[Cleon]

We named our snow blower Monica.

Weird. That's what I named my cheap $20 humidor.

[Tony]

Could be worse. Could have been Peter Wiener.

I went to school with a dude named Peter Wood. Seriously.

[Ziggurat]

I went to school with a dude named Peter Wood. Seriously.

I had a substitute teacher named Mrs. Lipshitz. No idea what her first name was, though.

[Comrade Ogilvy]

When I read that story I wondered how long it would take a poster here to excuse that kind of behavior on the teacher's part. Just one post after the OP. I'm impressed.


Thank you....

[LibraryLady]

I had a high school teacher who made fun of my last name nearly every day in class. After a week or so into the semester, I went up to him after class and quietly and politely asked him to stop. He apologized and agreed to stop.

Then he continued throughout the school year.

I overheard him one commenting that I had started out so well in his class and then my grades just went downhill. What an idiot.

It didn't do any permanent damage, but it did affect my grades, I felt powerless all year and I still really, really dislike him.

[Madalch]

I went to school with a dude named Peter Wood. Seriously.
My Dad had a friend named Bob Ness. We found his picture on the wall of our elementary school, with all the other students of many years ago, listed as "R. Ness". We also found his sister, "V. Ness" and his brother "P. Ness".

Very amusing to a nine-year-old.