Edhat StaffBy the edhat staff
An investigation is underway after a student was sedated and arrested at Santa Ynez Valley High School.
Tyler Hayden at the Santa Barbara Independent reports a 16-year-old student was restrained, twice sedated, and arrested after questions of marijuana use resulted in a violent confrontation with the school’s vice principal and on-campus Sheriff’s deputy.
The student is facing expulsion and possible criminal charges as students, parents, and school staff members state the incident was grossly mishandled and the student, who suffers from mental health issues, was provoked into a panic by the deputy and vice principal.
A third-party investigative firm was hired by the school district.
Read the full story at independent.com.
Imagine if you were a HS administrator and there was a student, clearly under the influence, and they were completely ignoring your request to come to the office and moving about as they pleased. In front of you, they move to get rid of what’s in their possession in a bathroom. Would you attempt to stop them? How would you do this? By blocking bathroom stalls? Restraining them? And then, imagine when a group of the student’s buddies get involved – leave him alone they say… And that group also ignores your commands to clear the area and things get louder… And then the student marches to his next class and continues to ignore you. Now, you have kid, clearly on drugs, who is defying your orders again. What next?
It is simply a bad situation. We don’t know exactly what the kid’s behavior was other than he certainly was ignoring requests to come to the office. Some kids feel like they can absolutely do what they want. Can you run a school if kids can outright ignore orders from the staff – Would you want to work in a school like that or have your kids go there? Of course, there are some that may say that the admin mishandled the situation, but people have incredibly different views on Jan 6th based on their biases.
Nice segue into whataboutism at the end there.
Goletais good–
Gee, golly, wow, I wonder. What exactly could be done? Huh.
How about you start by training staff to de-escalate situations instead of escalating them.
How about that?
How about you treat students as if they are human beings instead of prisoners. If the kid was high, big deal. Is it ideal for their learning? No. Is turning their being high into a full on panic attack, physical altercation, and ultimately injecting another drug into them a good way to handle it?
No.
Oh, wait, you brought up January 6th in this context. Sorry, obviously you’re a complete moron.
Hi Friend,
I assure you these two adults involved were trained in de-escalation and have tons of experiences in managing student behavior. I also assure you that both the admin and the officer would agree with you 100% that treating a student as a human rather than a prisoner is paramount. However, you have an episode where someone is being completely non-compliant and they ended up isolating that student in a room. It seems then, the deputy restrained the student. Was that the wrong call? I don’t know exactly what happened and they know a lot more about that kid than I do.
There will be due process regarding everyone’s behavior and rightfully so.
In regards to Jan 6th reference – my point was that you could have the kid’s buddy or a teacher who just got pink-slipped having a different point of view on how it was handled than a neutral observer – we don’t know. In cases like these, because it was a student incident, the district won’t share with you or me all of the details from their report. So, even if there is more evidence that paints the school actions in a better light, we would never know.
I’ve been there… many times – In one case, an expelled student (drug sales) returned to school to “see his friends”. No amount of smooth talking or even calling his parent’s cell would get him to leave the campus. I could not touch him. So, I followed him around my campus for almost an hour as he interrupted class after class awaiting for the police to arrive. Once they did, he ran. He took one of his buddies with him who we had been working so hard to keep him out of trouble. I had zero control over this kid and so did his parent. My point is it is a difficult situation. A non-compliant student damages the school culture even when the admin is carefully trying to build it up.
Sure, there are kids and adults who behave badly. It is compelling that the reporter shared the student’s and mother’s story, but , but we don’t have the full story.
The district will investigate. The Sheriff’s dept will investigate. But we won’t really hear the full story because it involves a juvenile. That admin cannot defend himself and tell us what happened and the kid (who was non-compliant and using drugs at school) is more than biased – we have no idea how things escalated.
In regards to your insistence that “the system” protects its own (another sweeping statement) – not exactly. I’ve seen teachers and admin rightfully get axed. ButI’ll agree that the system is far from perfect.
From my training, if a student is disruptive and non-compliant in a room, it may be appropriate and safer to have the other students exit and remove them from view (close blinds). Nothing nefarious there – I’ve done this on a few occasions while a kid destroyed a classroom but no one got hurt and then eventually the kid would calm down and become compliant. Not sure what happened here… but if my child was in that class, I’d rather have them moved than stay in a class where a stand-off is happening between a deputy, admin and a high kid…
Goletaisgood, thank you for the reminder that there is always more to the story. I worked with special needs children, teens, and young adults many years ago and there were a lot of aggressive episodes that required a higher level, sometimes medical, of intervention. To someone outside who didn’t know the people involved or the potential for harm, they wouldn’t have understood. You won’t get understanding here from people who haven’t witnessed these types of dangerous behaviors from students or clients.
Alexblue we were highly trained and medical interventions were given by medical staff. There is always more to the story… the ideal is least restrictive. If the staff violated the student’s rights then hopefully the investigation shows that but if they did NOT, then hopefully the investigation also shows that. None of us were there
GOLETA – in no event, under no circumstances, should a CHILD be forcefully sedated for simply being under the influence of cannabis and upset that they’re being apprehended. He was alone in a room with adults. He wasn’t lashing out and attacking people or causing harm to himself. It’s disgraceful that anyone could be OK with this situation. Sedation is used for those having mental health crises who are posing imminent and severe threat to the safety of themselves or those around them. Doesn’t sound even close to what happened here.
“At some point, a decision was made to restrain the kid” – Never should have happened. He wasn’t a threat to anyone until they locked him in a room and attempted to get physical with him. He should have been left alone, to be dealt with when it was safe and appropriate. He was suspected of smoking weed, not caught red-handed snorting meth and waving a gun around. The adults were wrong. They should have been better trained or called in a counselor or parents.
GOLETA – were you in that room? Do you disbelieve the article you claim I didn’t read?
I may have chosen to keep him isolated in that room and wait him out. I would do simple things like sit down in a chair, relaxed posture and lower my voice. Also, I would have called parents and made every attempt to get them there. May or may not have helped, but I know that most school admin would restrain as a last resort and only when it comes to safety. The deputy has different rules. If the kid were to try to push his way past the officer, then I suspect that restraint would occur. (I have mixed feelings about officers on campus because of issues like this).
And I do think that the kid’s account is biased and his mother is just doing what mothers do. Luckily they will have access to the deputy’s camera. (And if it wasn’t on -or if any officer has a violent incident and doesn;t follow policy and keep it on – then, yes, they should be fired.)
Goletaisgood – I agree with you, and I am a parent of two, one who was a handful during those high school years. I noticed that they only shared the student and mother’s story. That is not the fully story. I think that removing the audience as quick as possible was a good move. Sbsand, I agree with you too.
M2457 – “I noticed that they only shared the student and mother’s story.” – So, I guess you either didn’t read the Indy article or missed the part about bystanders, both students AND teachers and staff, saying, “There was a clear consensus among them, however, that the manner in which Rubio was arrested was unnecessary and unjustified. They described Haws and Parker as escalating an already fraught situation rather than trying to defuse it. They called their reaction “extreme.”
Hard to just ignore that.
I think everyone can agree that anyone with mental-health issues should not be getting high as a kite all the time. We also should all be able to agree that the student should have complied with requests by school administrators/teachers, as well as any commands from LE. When LE shows up, they are not there to fool around…simply do what they tell you to do and everything will be A-OK. Fight the cops and guess what happens….you get the horns, get the taze, and/or a whole other assortment of not-so-nice consequences like getting arrested. I was not there and certainly do not know the student, but if as described in the article, the student was handled as expected by polite society. Bottom line is don’t go to school out of your mind on drugs and you get to go home at the end of the day and won’t have to get arrested. Hopefully, all of us can agree on these things (hopefully).
OMG.
Babycakes, do you not understand that people with mental health issues often get high because they have mental health issues? And who TF said the kids went to school “out of his mind”. Did you even read the article?
As to doing what LEO tells you to do, just google for videos of people being assaulted by cops when they were attempting to comply. You’ll find plenty.
Your cavalier attitude about a minor being roughed up and injected with drugs which could have had significant dangerous medical imapcts is ridiculous.
AlexBlue: My apology if my comment came across as negative toward LE. LE has an incredibly difficult job to do and the public expects them to be professional at all times. I have/had several family members in LE and could not believe some of the stories they told me (the stories of folks on PCP [aka “Angel Dust] were particularly disturbing). So, maybe each of us on this board can say some prayers for those involved in this event, and we can all move forward to a better day. I think that pretty much sums up how I feel about it.
Baby “I think everyone can agree that anyone with mental-health issues should not be getting high as a kite all the time” Are you a freaking doctor Babysnakes? Actually, medical marijuana has a lot of benefits for people suffering from severe depression – but go ahead and place your limited knowledge of the world as the basis for how others should act. Hopefully all of us can agree that school officials and especially law enforcement officers should be better trained in dealing with mental health issues. There is body cam footage of this incident – I can’t wait for the family to get a FOIA request and release it to the public to show the snot of humanity that you typically support.
Tinycakes,
I change the name with which I address you because it amuses me.
Your totally ridiculous assertions and wild unfounded claims about this kid are unjustified and awful.
And, yeah, I can call you names and also wreck you intellectually.
Accurate Babycakes. Such a quick decay to name calling, profanities, and insults shows the lack of a legitimate position to defend and more a desire to lash out, certainly nothing that could “wreck you intellectually”.
Actually, ALEX’s points are valid and accurate, despite the name calling.
Honeycakes
I’m sorry but you really do seem to have a reading comprehension issue. I don’t know ho you could have gotten to your conclusion about what I said unless you are playing a really good sarcasm game, and I doubt that.
AlexBlue: Your interpretation of the articles and mine are not significantly different as I see it. That is, as I (me) see it. The problem is that some folks read in extra information in my comments that simply are not there. Then comes the name calling: SnakyCakes, BabySnakes, HoneyCakes, FakeyCakes, to which I have no objections to as when the name caller starts name calling, they’ve “lost.” Everyone knows that….when someone has nothing to argue or legitimate position to defend, people go for the low-hanging name calling fruit. BTW, if you would like to call me something other than BabyCakes, you have my permission to call me Doctor….Doctor Grabow (I’m not an actual doctor, but Puff-puff….LOL!!!).
Republican school administration – totally unable to handle mental health issues. More law enforcement unable to de-escalate situations. Republicans seem ok with this forced “medical” procedure to make up for the administration and the deputies horrible mistakes. This will cost the tax payers millions – yet the GOP is worried about a drag story hour at a local book store. Geez.
GT – garbage political response as usual. Downvote.
Basic – you are playing the repuglican victim card again and seem to be one of the few who cares about the upvote/downvote feature. You, of all the far right loonies here, have no room to whine about someone else making a “political” comment.
GENERALTREE, how do republicans have anything to do with the public school system in CA? For you to blame this incident on republicans is truly stunning.
Actions have consequences, a concept that our “new world of thought “ no longer applies to bad decisions…
Oh , so YOU WERE THERE…. Now I get it….
“Tell me again why California won’t allow cameras in classrooms.” because CA politicians are behooved to public sector unions, particularly public school teachers unions, and the union bosses would never allow.
Man, that’s rough. If I was in constant tears and misery about the state in which I lived, I’d pull up the ol’ bootsraps and move where a man can get an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work.
You sir or madame are 100 percent correct.
It’s “protect the teachers and administrators first and kids last.”
“Tell me again why California won’t allow cameras in classrooms.” Only Repuglicans want to control children through taking away books, re-writing American history, putting them in institutions similar to prisons, giving them all guns, and video taping the children wherever they go. Very sick!
Agreed Sacjon – although the red states don’t even want the repuglican refugees anymore.
My guess is he was RESISTING the deputy , thus increasing the level of response… Just DO WHAT THEY SAY. – fight it in court…
Next time you talk someone should shove a hypodermic needle in your ass without your consent so that you can experience it.
Let’s just hope the student gets the help that they need. It’s possible that the weed the student was smoking was laced with something else that caused them to lose control and become violent. The weed that is available now is not your 60s “hippie lettuce” or the flat/seedy/crappy/hard weed in the 70s/early 80s from south of the border. From coast to coast ER rooms have been experiencing an exponential amount of patients who did not know or underestimated the strength of the weed they were eating/smoking. Children are gobbling up THC cookies, gummies, etc. and are overdosing. Even pet clinics have seen a huge rise in animals who got into the “stash” and are completely sickened after eating bunches of dope-laced cookies. Bottom line is that I suspect the student had ingested something to make them freak out….most “dopers” are pretty mellow and have no desire whatsoever to fight or lash out.
Cops won’t publish the body cam footage and blur out the face of the kid as is done in other precincts across the country – because they are afraid and are protecting their own. Multi million dollar lawsuit coming.
This kid got a modern version of a spanking. Plain and simple.??You want to f- around and smoke at school? Then he starts fighting with the staff and freaks out. Yeah, next time I say they have to just drag him out into a cop car. What do you all think? Sure as hell I’m not comfortable just accepting drugs at school. I’m looking out for my kid and others’ as well who shouldn’t be exposed to drugs at school. Since when is that acceptable? Talk about ultra liberal nonsense, wow. Keep that line going and all our schools’ money will just go into “sensitivity training” and other wastes like that. Zero left for reading, writing, math, etc. We’ve already diluted our education system too far. Pretty soon you’ll just have three types at public schools: Poor apathetic teachers, law enforcers, and unfortunate students that are either screw-ups or can’t afford private school.
You call a counselor or parents, especially if the kid is known to have mental health issues. Pretty darn simple. How it’s a complicated mystery to anyone is beyond me.
Also, he didn’t refuse to leave, he just didn’t get up when ordered to. He DID try to leave once they locked him in though. The story is pretty detailed – https://www.independent.com/2023/02/22/investigation-launched-after-student-is-sedated-arrested/
Voice would file a lawsuit against everyone involved within the hour if it was his kid. Complete hypocrite.
Basic : This is a lot more than a spanking, which also is not an appropriate response. Traumatizing. Basic it is painful how you dismiss the facts and find it OK to do horrific things on the assumption a 16 year old smoked weed in the bathroom which he was never caught doing. Injecting a student with a drug with a needle into his bloodstream is invasive and a violation of his rights, secondly no one ever saw this student smoke. The officer said he smelled burning. Vape pens barely smell so it is also quite probable that it was not even this student. Having a vape pen in your pocket does not sound like a serious offense and should not result in head injury and being unconscious and winding up in the hospital.
NO. Bad dog. Stop it. This is NOT about covid. Just stop.
Further, NO ONE was held down by paramedics and injected with a debilitating drug while under duress and panic. Don’t you DARE try to compare this.
Oh, quit saying you won’t engage! 🙂 You know you will.
I’m currently in Japanwere the contrast about following societal rules and protocols are in stark contrast to kids and people in general… We a for sure turning into a Third World and it starts with family values that kids learn from “PARENTS “ There is absolutely no disrespect towards teachers cops and others here.
Business men in Tokyo stay out and drink all night. Are those good family values?
Uh-huh, okay, Coastwatch, exactly how long have you been in Japan? Four days? Enough to truly understand the underbelly of any country?
Stupid superficial comment.
This series of comments is a perfect illustration of how edhat is becoming a forum for ultra liberals to vent and rave. I’ve had my fill and I’m moving on. The pop up ads suck too :-). Adios.
Typical repuglican playing the victim card. Good riddance.
Bye Felicia 😀
HAHAHAHA!!! LOL! Grab a tissue on your way out and while you’re at it understand that it takes two to tango–and you’re dancing along with everyone else.
Bye! I hope you find a safe space on the internet where you don’t get triggered.
GRABBER – why you running away? Better question, why you in CA?
An online petition to fire Vice Principal Haws already has over 3,000 signatures. Reading the comments makes it clear this man should not be allowed around children.
https://www.change.org/p/fire-peter-haws-vice-principal-of-santa-ynez-high-school
Man, you are really on the train aren’t you, Babycakes.
Here’s a suggestion, go and read the testimonials of some of the thousands of people who have been mistreated or witnessed mistreatment by this lunatic.
https://www.change.org/p/fire-peter-haws-vice-principal-of-santa-ynez-high-school
Then come back and make more claims about how this kid Rubio was the problem.
Disgusting.