Teen Said Principal Would Die!
In today’s Washington Post.com, the case of a 16 year old Wisconsin student who shot his principal on last Homecoming day is covered. The case, which began Friday, started with the defendant’s lawyer claiming there was no intent to kill, when Eric Hainstock brought a revolver and a shotgun to school. Principal John Klang was shot three times, including a wound to the head, and later died at a nearby hospital. Witnesses report the defendant stated that Klang “would not live through Homecoming”.
As the facts in this case are revealed, many contributing factors will undoubtedly be raised as mitigating circumstances. Eric has a history of untreated ADD, apparently was sexually-abused by a step brother until the age of six, and was physically abused by his father. In addition, he was the butt of repeated bullying at school, where he was ridiculed and labeled as “gay”.
Apparently, Eric’s anger at the principal had been building because he had been disciplined for having tobacco at school, coupled with the teen’s fury at what he interpreted as the principal’s unwillingness to stop the bullying against him. Though a custodian confiscated the shotgun from the student as he entered the school, the revolver was not discovered and was later used to kill the principal.
This student is charged with first-degree murder and is being tried as an adult. There are several layers to this tragic story which will be revealed as the trial progresses. But we need to keep something else in mind as well.
This is another example of the societal problems that are impacting our schools. Any plan to make changes in our public education system MUST take these societal factors into account. We need a total overhaul of our public education system, as recommended in “Set Our Teachers FREE! A Plan to Save Public Education”.
The student’s attorney summed-up the situation pretty succintly:
“This case is about a troubled boy from a troubled home who found nothing but trouble at school.”
I don’t know how many ways I can emphasize this, but things are getting worse, not better, in our public schools. Aren’t you ready for a change? Don’t you agree that it is time to Straighten-Out Public Education NOW!?
Let’s do it!
Brennan
