BATH, Maine — A Freeport Middle School teacher accused of making an offhanded remark in class about shooting students has entered a plea of not guilty to misdemeanor terrorizing.
David Mason waived a court appearance Tuesday by entering his plea through a letter submitted by his attorney.
Mason is accused of talking about using a gun in front of his seventh-grade class in February. One parent told The Portland Press Herald that the 58-year-old Mason was frustrated with the class and made a comment about taking them to the roof and shooting them.
Although it was meant as a joke, some parents thought it was inappropriate.
Mason’s lawyer called the remark “tongue-in-cheek” and said it was blown out of proportion.
if it had been a student making such a remark the teacher would have immediately sent them to the office and probably called the police and at least given a suspension. you can’t have one set of standards for teachers and another for students, every threat has to be taken seriously in todays world.
Uhhh. Yes, yes, you most certainly can have one set of standards for students and a different set of standards for teachers. In fact you must. Anybody who is willing go into teaching and deal with some of the punks that are the product of today’s socialist society deserves a medal.
Slap on the wrist, back to school, MEA happy, and he’ll take his meds until he retires.
Hey parents, maybe if you did a better job parenting your kids their teachers would not want to take them to the roof and shoot them. Teach your kids to respect their elders, which yes, includes teachers. Hasn’t anyone ever heard of an off the cuff remark? It shouldn’t be this big of a deal.
Hey JBG, most parents do do a good job being parents! Where did Mr. Mason’s parents fail him that he would think that it would be OK to make a remark like this? This kind of remark was totally uncalled for. If children learn by example, what kind of example is this? Especially from a person of authority.
Sorry, I do not agree.
If Mr Mason had athority to grab the few little ring leading trouble makers, in the class by the ear and throw them out, I imagine he would be showing a good example to the other punks in the class, SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!
These entitled kids we are raising have been taught they dont have to do anything, there is no repercuctiion for anything they do.
The kids nowa days will spit in your face and give you the finger if you mention anything about respect or morals to them.
We had this rule, If you get in trouble at school, you are in troulbe at home. This was a rule when I was a kid 40 years ago, and was and is a rule in our home now.
Just my opinion…
Well, someone has to be teaching them right from wrong and if some parents in today’s society aren’t, then unfortunately, it falls on teachers and others. Taking one by the ear because they are acting up is teaching kids to do violence when someone does something they don’t like. Violence breeds violence…..ignorance breeds ignorance….that’s what some are being taught at home.
I was a kid 40 years ago, too. Society has changed ALOT since then, BUT, if parents would be parents and not their kids “friend”, things might be a little different. I see friends of my kids, who now have families of their own, and they are raising their kids the way they were raised….and they still have respect, common sense and self dicipline.
Not ALL kids are juvenile delinquints…..SOME are……….just like some grownups are “jerks”, for lack of a better word, and some are not. People need to stop lumping ALL KIDS in the “bad kid” catagory! And that is…….just my opinion…..
Respecting your elders is one thing, threating to take them to the roof and shoot them is a little much!
I agree!!
Maybe some of you parents need to see just how your kids act in school – then you can comment. And I am not approving of his actions – but I do understand.
Middle school, nuff said.
People take these “threats” too far. Need to back off and deal with the REAL problems.
Some of these “threats” turn into reality. That is why every threat needs to be taken seriously. If my child were in this class and no one took it serioulsy and something happened, you can bet I would be blaming the school for not taking action at the beginning! Better to be safe than sorry…….
Whether or not you agree with his actions, teachers are not allowed to control their classes anymore. I can remember a teacher walking down the aisle, picking up the desk with the student in it, slamming it down and getting right in the student’s face that was acting out – kid got the point; so did everyone else – don’t misbehave. I can remember a teacher being able to place their hands on a student’s arm and escort them to the principal’s office. With the threats of calling police, telling parents fibs – virtually all a student has to say is the teacher did so and so, and the teacher’s career is over. If any sort of discipline needs to be done, students threaten with some sort of backlash. Teachers need some control methods – maybe we could go back to the switch, or the ruler…something…but students should not rule the classroom; teachers do.
I seem to remember not too long ago many people on here up in arms about a certifiably insane guy saying he’d like to shoot the governor, despite the fact that he was a) crazy and b) did not have access to weapons.
Now what is the difference between that guy and this case?
You may feel you’re a “good citizen,” but your advocating for the reintroduction of corporal punishment etc. may lead to some disappointment when awards season rolls around.
Yeah, the molly coddling system we have now is definitely producing the best citizens. How dare anyone suggest that teachers be in control in the classroom. Next thing you know someone will be proposing that the parents take some responsibility for their child’s behavior.
thank you – I am not condoning beating kids in school, obviously, – but…stories from my parents when punishing children was allowed–they don’t seem to remember students acting out because of fear of having the crap knocked out of their knuckles in the front of the class. Now you have students threaten violence in class, and teachers can’t do anything about it, or the parents will get involved, calling attorneys, assuming as always, their child is a saint.
In the news today – a kindergarten student handcuffed by police after throwing desks around, tipping over bookshelves, and tearing things off of the wall during a tantrum in school.
Folks are saying the police over reacted, but the teacher can’t touch the student even to restrain them from acts of vandalism. So by “handcuffing” the teacher, they have no choice but to call police. The child’s Parents say they are getting a lawyer, no comments that they are sorry their precious 5 year old destroyed a classroom! I bet she was real cute during her precious tantrum.
Why would anyone want to be a teacher these days?
In this day and age you don’t tell children between the ages of 11, and 13 that you are going to take them up on the roof and shoot them. It is inappropriate in today’s fearful society. Even adults take everything said as a threat. This “middle school teacher” should have known this.
I fail to see the criminal nature of this offense. I would suggest that the prosecution would be forced to put children on the stand (did any adult here this “threat.” The witness would have to say that he believed the teacher meant what he said, and that the student(s) were in fear for their lives. Without that testimony this case is goibng nowhere. A total waste of taxpayer funds.
You don’t tell ANYBODY you’re going to take them to the roof and shoot them! Teachers, as well as other adults, are supposed to be setting an example……I don’t call this a very good one!!
The comment that the teacher made, while probably in poor taste, was obviously made in jest. I’d hate to think that I would be dragged in front of a judge for every stupid thing I’ve ever said. Blown waaaayyyyyy out of proportion.
When I saw “threatening remark” I just figured a Parent took offense to a Teacher threatening to give their kid a zero if they didn’t do their homework.
Repeat after me, children: “F” is for FRIVOLOUS.
Give the teacher a break . The problem is in today society it all about making the children feel good about themselves. Teach these kids to have high misplaced self esteem. That is BS. I never met a criminal that did not have a high opinion of themselves .” Oh if i rob that bank i can get away with it”. I am no fan education the way it is today. The teachers need more control about what and how things are taught.
If Mr. Mason has been teaching since he graduated from college-perhaps as long as 36 years ago- I hope the court looks at his past record-good or bad. If this is the only”serious” blemish on his record, it should not be turned into a scar.
Exactly. Look at the totality of the person. A kidding comment coming from a veteran teacher might be different than the same comment coming from some troubled kid or Obama voter. Both are equally disturbed.
We get desensitized to words and phrases by exposure, or perhaps over-exposure, to violence in reality and in entertainment. One of the blogs in the BDN that keeps popping up on my screen is “I’m Going to Kill Him.” I dislike the title throughly, but it is emblematic. I hope they look at the teacher’s history just as I hope they would look at a student’s history if it had been a student who had spouted off. One shouldn’t be arrested for a bad joke.
Look what we have become.
Al Quaida has won.
If it was “obviously” made in jest, the authorities OBVIOUSLY didn’t see it that way. There have been toooooo many incidents that have happened because people didn’t take the threat seriously.
This is supposed to be under ramrodsmith’s post……
Come on. I can definitely see this being a joking comment that a teacher might say. I can also see the politically correct atmosphere of today overreacting to a simple statement. His lawyer says it was “tongue in cheek” I don’t trust the cops to have a brain on this one.
For this teacher to have to deal with today’s generation of arrogant, self-entitled brats (parents included), he deserves more thanks than what people are willing to give. However, the parents do have a point. Their children’s safety is paramount to them. Any possible threat to their safety MUST be examined. A teacher that has decent standards knows better than to tell a group of students that he is going to kill them, even in jest.