DOCUMENT: Bizarre, K-12

Boy, 13, Busted For Illegal Marker Possession

Oklahoma math teacher in citizen's arrest of student

permanent marker

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Child Marker Arrest

DECEMBER 22--A 13-year-old boy was arrested Friday for using a permanent marker while in class at his Oklahoma City middle school, a violation of an obscure city ordinance.

According to an Oklahoma City Police Department report, the boy was spotted “in possession of a permanent marker” by Roosevelt Middle School teacher DeLynn Woodside. The 50-year-old educator told cop Miguel Campos that the student was “writing on a piece of paper, which caused it to bleed over onto the desk.”

Woodside, pictured at right, reported that the child, whose name was redacted by police from the report, attempted to hide the marker when she asked him for it. Strangely, Woodside’s Facebook page reveals that her “likes and interests” include the official “Sharpie Permanent Markers” page on Facebook.

Campos reported that he allowed Woodside, a seventh grade math teacher, to “sign a citation” against the boy, who was then transported to the Community Intervention Center, a juvenile holding facility. A police sergeant subsequently “booked the marker into the property room.”

A police spokesman referred to the student’s bust as a “citizen’s arrest” effectuated by Woodside.

The marker ban--which apparently is aimed at curbing graffiti--stems from a city ordinance making it illegal to possess spray paint or a permanent marker on private property (without the owner’s permission). (2 pages)

Comments (558)

The officer was named. You can read, right? Are you digging for some nugget of gold that you can't quite achieve? You looking for that one person that will give you some good nuggets? You seek a story.... we seek excellence from our students. You defend without knowledge. You could do better.
My bad. "miss" has insisted that she works with you at this school and that people like you and the rest of the teachers there routinely abuse and bully the students. Is that true then?
I seek some evidence that this individual who claims to work with you has some evidence to support her claims that you abuse these kids is true.
What subject and grade do you teach?
What are the names of the principal, vice principal and guidance counselors?
We only have ONE guidance counselor....not counselors....but that's all I will tell you. Get a damn life, man
That's all you'll tell me?! You've already told the whole world that your college educated peers and professional teaching associates at this school are viewed as bullies by the students. So, why haven't you taken a stand then? I mean besides anonymously logging on to some web site and engaging in the character assassination of the people you work with?
How is it any different than the character assassination being done to the CHILD? Whether he's a POS, or just a hyper little f***er, he's still a child. The teachers are ADULTS. At least the kid's character isn't done being formed. Unfortunately, the dinosaur Nazis impersonating teacher... well... it's just too late for them.
Go back to playing with your boogers sparky.
Exactly how long have you and this teacher worked together?
We have worked together for 6 years. I will not, however, justify myself to you. I don't care if you believe me or not. If you want to email me I will answer all questions but I don't believe in putting people's names on somewhere without their permission. Also, I could just look these up and lie about teaching here....but why would I? That is weird. Why would you call me a loon? You obviously have ties to my school or Mrs. Woodside are you wouldn't be on here this much. The reason I keep coming back to this is site IS BECAUSE I HAVE TIES. If anyone is the loon, it's you.
I come here and provide the lone argument that YOUR fellow teacher and coworker ought to be heard from and more details provided before she is publicly excoriated and shamed. If that is loony, I'll live with it.
You come here to anonymously denigrate the people who you work with and provide support and affirmation to others who do the same. Do you think that is an honorable thing to do?
We have worked together for 6 years. I will not, however, justify myself to you. I don't care if you believe me or not. If you want to email me I will answer all questions but I don't believe in putting people's names on somewhere without their permission. Also, I could just look these up and lie about teaching here....but why would I? That is weird. Why would you call me a loon? You obviously have ties to my school or Mrs. Woodside are you wouldn't be on here this much. The reason I keep coming back to this is site IS BECAUSE I HAVE TIES. If anyone is the loon, it's you.
I retired from the Army. There is something particularly egregious and distasteful to me when I read comments from someone who claims to be a coworker who comes on a thread to anonymously denigrate to the world fellow team members and accuse them of bullying and abuse. How can you look these people in the eye when you go back to work? What kind of person are you?
Because she works FOR the students, not her colleagues. She can look them in the eye because she is not there for them -- she became a teacher to teach, not cover up for others. Is she a troll? Maybe? Or maybe there's some truth to what she is claiming. But on the sole possibility that there is truth behind her claims, then it deserves to be investigated. If it's not true, then nobody will substantiate her claims. If it is true, then it was her anonymity that gave a voice to those who know the truth, and haven't, for whatever reason, said anything so far.
She's a clown like you sparky. Now run along.
I'm the guy in the parking lot with the SSG stripes in the rear window. I am a co-worker and I'm not retired from either profession. So, if you want to pull that Army nonsense with someone, all you gotta do is find my truck. That woman's integrity, heart and soul are all intact. I would walk through hell with 5 gallons of gasoline and a star-cluster to defend her. Choose your battles wisely.
What does having been in the army have to do with this?
Sorry, you wouldn't understand.
I am the kind of person who fights for my kids. I can look them all in the eye. I have told them to back off kids. This is why I am a good teacher. I don't give a CRAP what my fellow teachers think of me. This is NOT why I became a teacher, to impress my colleagues. It's to TEACH KIDS. And it's certainly not impress people like you. If you are so disgusted by all the comments, why are you still on here?
I'm disgusted by you.
SCORE!
By your own admission you stand by and allow children to be bullied by your fellow teachers. You are either a coward or a hypocrite. Or both.
By your own admission you stand by and allow children to be bullied by your fellow teachers. You are either a coward or a hypocrite. Or both.
Can you quote exactly what I said in any of this where I allow students to be bullied? Where did I say this?
"I agree with you about the kids seeing her as a bully. This is true. Most teachers at our school ARE bullies...." Bullying is universally considered abuse and is a crime in most jurisdictions. You have come here to not only throw your fellow teacher under the bus but the entire school. With what?! Vague ambiguities? That isn't looking out for those kids. According to you the school ought to be shut down and investigated. Yet, while all this goes on, you're going to be coy about the names of these rotten B@stards you say you are forced to work with?!
actually, I don't stand by and let this happen. This is why I said earlier that this behavior of teachers is being taken care of by my principal. OMG....why do I keep getting on this site? I am no better than you! ACK!
No, I wouldn't touch you with a stick. You have crapped on your fellow coworkers for absolutely no good reason and provided no specifics of any kind. It doesn't get much lower than that. "ACK" indeed.
so you like don't want to go out?
Not really. On other web sites, do you tell folks you are a cop or that you served in Iraq? And, on yet others that you were a 9/11 first responder? Do you regularly pretend to be something you are not to denigrate your betters?
yes. This is exactly what I do.
Ironically, your tendency to back-stab your coworkers anonymously on the internet belies the sarcasm you'd like pretend to now.
In my school there are lots of curvings and drawings on the desks,also some graffiti around my town, but ban markers.Also school isnt private property is it? PS that teacher is a fat b#$%# haha
It's obvious what happened: The teacher (more than likely "redrover") caught the boy drawing a picture of her depicting her as extremely obese. So, she filed a citizens complaint to get the 13 year old arrested using an old, seldom used law. I suspect that when this comes to court the judge will throw it out because the boy wasn't "tagging" the desk with gang insignias. She, on the other hand, now has to explain to parents and voters why using a writing device in the manner and purpose for which it was made is a criminal offense. I also suspect that public pressure will force her to resign or be fired for incompetence. Yes, redrover, I said incompetence. I taught math and sciences at the high school and college level for two decades and later taught programming to high school teachers as par to their continuing education. Good teachers do not have discipline problems. Bad teachers are obsessed with discipline.
"Good teachers do not have discipline problems. Bad teachers are obsessed with discipline." Tell that to the teachers in our public schools raped, murdered and beaten every year.
What????????????????????????
Houston Chronicle: "15 percent of Houston teachers say students have assaulted them" MORE? Have you heard of "google" or do you live under a rock?
And what are the stats on crimes committed by the army?
"I taught math and sciences at the high school and college level for two decades" IMPOSSIBLE. Any descent teacher would know better than to form conclusions without all the information. Thanks for playing sparky.
Red Rover any "descent" teacher would know the word they should have used is decent! Descent means a loss of altitude. In an earlier post you also wrote "presently" in the sense of "at this time". The word you SHOULD have used is "Currently." Presently means soon. What hope is there for the correct usage of the English language when those who are supposed to be teaching it can't get it right. And for a marker? Come on! Confiscate it. Give detention, send a note home to explain why markers are not allowed in a students possession, even a short suspension. But to take it as far as it has gone is ridiculous.
In the matter of debate, any opponent compelled to search through comments for spelling and punctuation errors.... compliments the other and draws attention to his own flimsy position. Have a nice day sparky.
I wasn't "compelled to search your comments for spelling and punctuation errors." They jumped right out, My position is I have no confidence in, or respect for, someone who is supposed to be teaching students without having the grammatical skills to do it correctly, Calling me "Sparky" must mean I am bright. I would never call you "Sparky" Sparky.
Sure you were. Over half your comment was devoted to a critique of my spelling and grammar. I have never claimed to be teaching students. Try to keep up sparky.
Yes but you didn't really deal with any issues raised. I notice you don't deny your mistakes, by the way. I have been reading a lot of your posts and you really do come across as a pompous know it all. So I will just say I think the incident should never have become such a big issue, and I agree with you inasmuch as we may be missing some details. When the kid refused to give up the marker was he belligerent or aggressive in his response? If so, then I can understand the teacher standing her ground and the incident escalating into what was a ridiculous end. were his parents informed of any of the goings on, and if so when? Was there an escalation of warnings and refusals? The entire school system has become a travesty. The slippery slope which leads to incidents such as this started a long time ago, How much farther is there to fall?
I have dealt with the issues here with great specificity. In fact, it requires a lot of patience for me to discern what the issue is with most of you because usually the point being made is merely an addendum to a string of personal attacks and insults. You can't help yourself. I looked but hadn't noticed you correcting anyone else for spelling or grammar. I will tell you this much. Where I went to school, that sort of behavior in debate reflects on character and intellect. It tells me that you have been challenged to the extent that you can't respond effectively and are forced to sling poo. Except for a few details, your comment now is for the most part an echo of my own remarks. Indeed, the incident should not have escalated. And, yes, there are things we don't know. Like.... what actually occurred between the teacher and student and who this kid is and what sort of history does this school have with him. Another commenter who actually works at this school has indicated that the school is gang ridden and plagued with taggers. That might have something to do with this kid but we don't know that right now. Perhaps this adult deserves a fraction of the consideration the kid has received instead of the mindless lynching I see here. There are commenters here who agree with you 100%, that are calling her a NAZI, demanding she be fired and providing her home address, phone and email. It may turn out that this teacher was in the wrong. However, I'll be satisfied that I was never on the side of this issue calling her a fat disgusting NAZI pig. Are these people here representative of the sort of parents a teacher might find on the other end of a phone conversation?
Wow, I just found this story.First, I must say that "REDROVER" is obsessed with this article and the writings of others. Reading ALL the posts, seeing how they develop over time convinces me also that this "REDROVER" is either the teacher mentioned, or someone close to this teacher like a relative... due to the writings - the school is terrible, etc, etc. but the teacher is wonderful. Hey, if this is a "friend" of yours, why haven't you suggested that this "wonderful" teacher move on to a better school with children that she would consider less unruly. Because if the only way this teacher thinks she can gain respect and control of her class is to call the police for such a minor thing as a marker and his refusal to turn it over, then this teacher has no control or respect of these students. She has done nothing but cultivated hostility. Children are crystal clear at seeing a bully, and this teacher is a bully. That is the only way she can "control" her students. They may look at her and smile, but they WILL be laughing at her behind her back. If this were my child, and this teacher had gone ballistic over a MARKER, and this child's refusal to turn it over, then I would be questioning the school board over the appropriate use of police time and the teacher's ability to teach. I would go to the police chief, and swear out a warrant against this teacher, for child abuse, and ask them to prosecute her for taking up their valuable time -- I'm sure they have laws for that too.People wonder why police have difficulty doing the duties they are expected..but with idiotic charges such as these being filed, no wonder police are stretched thin,they have to answer these idiotic calls. I am confident that this officer HAD to have been saying under his breath "Lady, I may HAVE to take this kid in due to technicalities, but you are a *&^%$" And.. I am happy to say... I do NOT live where this woman teaches, thank GOD! What a dingbat!
I agree with you about the kids seeing her as a bully. This is true. Most teachers at our school ARE bullies....this is why they are met with such anger by our students. It's a huge problem our school is working on (well at least that is what the principal says)... Also, just FYI, our campus cop is stationed at our campus. All day everyday. So....
I don't believe you for one second. No teacher would say that about his or her colleagues. You are a fraud. Not only are you a fraud but you have made my point. By your own admission most teachers in this school are of the same sort of mindset as the teacher in this article.
Why would I not say this about my colleagues if they are in the wrong? They are! It's an obvious issue we have. And yes, I have said it to their faces. so, I am supposed to stick up for other teachers even if they are wrong just because they are teachers....um, no!