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Loading ...School bus driver charged in homophobic attack on student
10.15.2008 3:23pm EDT
(Bourbonnais, Illinois) An elementary school bus driver has been charged with leading a homophobic attack on a 10-year old student passenger.
The Kankakee Sheriff’s Police Department said that the boy was taunted by the driver who then encouraged other students to chase and beat the child.Chief Deputy Ken McCabe said the incident occurred on a Bourbonnais Elementary School District bus which was returning students to their homes last Friday.
McCabe said the driver repeatedly called the boy “gay.”
”When the boy got off the bus, the driver encouraged several other students to go after him and tackle him. Our investigation shows that occurred,” McCabe told The Daily Journal.
He also said the driver is under investigation for joining the students in chasing the boy and grabbing him.
Bourbonnais School District officials would only say the driver has been terminated.
Charged with mob action, endangering the life of a child and battery is Russell A. Schmalz, 46.
If the alleged actions are true, the bus driver needs to go to jail for a good long time.
There is NO excuse for abuse of any child. Period. End of story.
I find Ja’Quez’s comments horrifying. Dont[sic] feel bad because boys need to be “tuffin”[sic]ed up — ?? Courage, self-discipline, integrity, and moral behavior come being from loved, not from being hated.
“Toughening” little boys up by abusing them creates more monsters like, as alleged, that bus driver.
Alice Miller calls it “the vicious cycle of contempt.”
It’s rotten.
“The little boy has to learn from this” — I’m sorry, but that’s one of the sickest things I’ve ever seen in my life. Jaw-dropping.
has to learn ja’quez? what – to fight several other students all beating him up? several against one? that kid wouldnt stand a chance if the others meant to seriously attack him. That bus driver imo really needs to be sent down for a LONG time and never allowed near chilren again.
As a father this is only more proof that schools are no longer safe and a place of tolerance when the people we trust our kids are shouting homophobic bull s**t
This is incredible!!!! What kind of savages live in that part of Il?? Who hired this dangerous bigot–those doing the hiring should also be fired. A 46 year old man doing this to an innocent 10 year old child is beyond belief, and shows the sad results of the anti gay campaign by bigots and so called “christians”. Shame!!!!!!!!!
Put that SOB under the jail. What an idiot! Schmalz should also be sued for $ since that’s seems to be the only thing people understand nowadays.
How traumatic it must have been for that 10-year old child. This is so unacceptable.
Yet another reason why I am homeschooled. I hope he burns in fucking hell.
Ja’Quez. You BOY. you need some help yourself. few loose screws in your commenting. Dr. Laura & Dr. Phil for you.
What does this say to other young blossoming gay children?
The Christian right is the root of all evil here! They teach to hate and attack us and hide behind god and Jesus!
The monster that incited this needs to be prosecuted for more then mob action, endangering the life of a child and battery!
I remember back when I was that age and the torture I had to endure that now in this day and age SHOULD be a thing of the past!
JohnM and George:
I would just like to point out that Illinois already has a hate crimes law regarding crimes against gay people. Why the DA is evidently not pursuing the matter as a hate crime is something I do not know.
When I was in the 6th grade, and all throught middle school, I was continually (and multipley) harassed and physically attacked.
Once 50 students tried to beat me to a pulp. Fortunately, I was a great deal smarter than they, and because I had been warned by a “friend” that the MOB was going to come after me one day immediately after school, I was able to position myself so that I could escape their one-dimensional mentality and escape the worst of what definitely would have been a near murder, if not a bodily and life-crippling event.
Well, I still have the emotional scars from it, and because the school administrators did nothing to prevent a future episode, I had to change schools. At least the new elementary school was more accomodating and had a kinder staff. I later had to return to the middle school which was larger, but had the same nasty bunch from elementary. Nearly every day something happened to me or my possessions. Friends were few and far in between. I endured this stuff for 8 years.
I still maintain deep emotional scars over those events, and even now I fear being alone in public. As I get older and somewhat weaker, the fear often turns to dread. I do not want to go out alone, like one should not go swimming alone. It is just too dangerous.
However, as I age, and I know my life is shorter than I would like, I also am not keeping quiet on the topic of LGBTIQ topics, discrimination and attacks. I level my vocal guns and let them loose when I see an inequality or an attack of any kind.
I never want anyone to suffer anything near what I had to endure my whole life. I can greatly empathize with the 10 year old victim.
I sure hope the bus driver, the administrators and the children and parents of the attacking children are punished to the full extent of the law. The school system needs to loose a great deal of their budget and the homophobic community should have to apologize publically and make up for their negligence and cruelty. Anyone who thinks otherwise is not only homophobic, but a part of that nasty MOB mentality, and needs some psychiatric help to change their attitudes and behavior.
More power to the LGBTQI community and our hard fought freedoms.
The kid is only ten. You’re barely finding out who you are then. To me, we sound just as guilty as the bus driver for assuming this kid is gay. Maybe he did something a little ‘gay’… he’s ten! Ackward. And to be honest, in court the fact that a 10 year old is gay, is questionable and easily over turned (we shouldn’t push the boy out of the closet). The public is in the mind set you magically realize it and come out… our gay celebrities portray things (like they magically just woke up to find themselves loving K.D. Lang or wanting to cruise Midtown, Atl)! But this is why there will be no pursuit for a hate crime conviction.
This whole episode of events saddens my heart. The kid is in my prayers@!
I had to chime in… First off I also have to say directly to ja’quez, you sir/madam are in need of psychiatric help and should seek it immediately!
As horrifying as this man’s action were, quite honestly I think those children who were involved ALONG WITH THIER PARENTS need to see some reproductions too and counseling, we all know this 10 year old is going suffer reproductions and need counseling!!!
Hate crimes are based on PERCIEVED status. The whole point of them is that it doesn’t matter whether or not this kid’s gay. Which is as it should be. The bus driver percieved him to be, and acted based on that perception.
Woops…My spell check failed me..haha
Reproductions should say “repercussions”
Sorry all…