Three students charged with teacher in Southwest DeKalb High indecency case
- 3/29/10
- Categorized in: DeKalb News, Education
Three Southwest DeKalb High School students have been charged with performing a lewd act in class in connection with a trial involving their teacher this week in Decatur.
The three former students, Jerramy Bartlett, Joe’l Shumate and Kiyon Benton, graduated last year and were charged with public indecency and disrupting a public school. The incident occurred on Dec. 11, 2008 in a class taught by former chorus teacher Nathan Grigsby, who is on trial this week in DeKalb County State Court for, essentially, not intervening.
Grigsby is charged with five counts of contributing to the deprivation of a minor. State prosecutor Robert James, in his opening statement on March 29, told an all-White jury that Grigsby watched happily as the three students danced to sexually suggestive music while pantomiming sex acts in front of excited students without stopping them.
Grigsby’s attorney, Jackie Patterson, said he didn’t see or hear the majority of the performance because he was helping another student with his back turned while wearing “studio-quality” headphones. Once he turned around, he quickly shut off the students and eventually punished them.
Check back with The Champion’s Web site later for a more updated story.
"Parents who lack good parenting skills should be force to shadow good parents."
Did you just completely forget to finish the word "forced" or are you really that unintelligent? Oh yea, and kids do have rights. If children didn't have rights they'd be constantly abused and neglected without any recourse. So, with that said, please think about what you say before you say it, not a lot of people are doing that these days and it gets them into a lot of trouble. Learn to use some common sense here lady.
What behavior did we exhibit when we were teenagers? Remember the age of sex, drugs, fast cars, basement parties, etc. A number of us would be in jail if we had to be held accountable for our pass transgressions.
This teacher needs a letter of reprimand and/or suspension without pay….not criminal charges! Robert James should be ashamed of himself! I guess we need to remember that this is an election year.
I'm upset that so many good programs have been cut due to the budget... But, Dekalb county has money to waste on court fees. This is so sad. The DA has nothing else to do???? Stop wasting my tax dollars on mess.
Jail time and negative criminal records are not the answer to a strip tease dance. Let's teach them how to make lemonade out of the lemon! We must start disciplining our children out of love. Old story need to kick back in.
Parents who lack good parenting skills should be force to shadow good parents. Parents should be able to discipline their children. My mother spanked me and I turned out great. Kids no long have any fears! That's not healthy. They lack respect for themselves and others. Because, they feel that have rights.
In my household my mother was the law... I did what she said and that was that. I followed instruction from my teachers and thouse left incharge. Or, there was a price to pay.
PArents have failed their children! Most parents want to be friends... Wrong! Children need structure!
It's obvious these boys lacked structure! They felt very comfortable performing this lewd act. Sex is so acceptable. Our children don't even understand that sex is meant for two loving, responsible, married adults.
But, TV and the music industry says different. Parents cut off the TV and radio... Start having family taime. Ask and answer questions... Don't allow others to define what is acceptable to you child... Let them know you love them by spending time and not money. Give them chores, make them responsible!
This is beyond ridiculous and I don't know what is to be said about my generation.
Which is why they have teachers, parents, and mentors to help them develop a sense of what's appropriate, how to be respectful of themselves, and how to make healthy choices. That teacher wasn't doing his job. If he had been he'd have been able to stop it sooner.
Those charges are totally blown up. If some of the kids felt violated (which wouldn't be surprising) then they should file complaints. But to charge them with crimes in a place where an adult could've stepped in and told them it was too far is really crappy.