10-Year-Old Girl Attacks Florida Teacher For Confiscating Candy

After teacher Kelly Sanchez confiscated Halloween candy from a 10-year-old 5th grader at Zellwood Elementary school, the student allegedly attacked and threatened to kill her, NBC Miami reports.

The girl was arrested last Tuesday and charged with felony battery.

When a reporter from WFTV asked the child's mother, Sebrina Bryant, if she thinks her daughter should have been arrested, she responded passionately.

"No. No. No," she told the station. "I was shocked, devastated."

When the station's reporter asked the girl to describe the attack, the girl only admitted to a small temper tantrum.

"I pushed stuff, pushed papers on the desk and stuff," the girl told the station.

The Sheriff's report, however, states something different. From The Smoking Gun:

"Ms. Sanchez stated that the defendant went behind her desk and took the bag of candy without permission. The defendant then started throwing pieces of candy at the other students in the classroom. Ms. Sanchez took the bag of candy back and put it up on a shelf, telling the defendant the candy would be given to her mother at the end of the day. The defendant then started throwing items from Ms. Sanchez' desk. At this time Ms. Sanchez called for assistance to remove the defendant from the class. While waiting for the requested assistance, Ms. Sanchez stated that she had put her arms up to block the defendant from going back behind her desk. The defendant then struck Sanchez in the stomach and side. She also stated that she would kill Ms. Sanchez and her family."

The State Attorney's Office has 21 days to determine whether or not to go through with the trial or recommend a diversion program.

Comments

[Reikoku Jaken]

06:26 AM on 11/22/2011

She will have a wonderful career as a backup vocalist in rap videos if she continues these antics.

[MegaMomSC]

01:17 PM on 11/17/2011

To those of you who feel sorry for her, I apologize because I am about to offend you all. The kids are running the classrooms now and getting away with it. If you call their parents, there are no repercussions at home. If you call an administrator, very little gets done. These kids are going to do what they want to do.

She deserves this punishement. Don't give me any garbage about what she sees at home or on television. I watched whatever the grown-ups in my home watched and didn't become a menace to society. If she didn't get the message along the way, then it is time for her to get it now. Being charged with assault seems a bit harsh, but she will learn the lesson well and hopefully change her attitude. She derfinitely needs to. Otherwise, she will grow up, and her "crimes" will be more heinous.

[RedneckSamurai]

09:22 AM on 11/17/2011

Whatever, I do what I want! Thugg Life aight?

[tubajew]

06:08 AM on 11/17/2011

There are too many kids like this today. I'm an inner-city Detroit high school teacher and we had 16 fights at my school last Tuesday. In previous years when I was at an elementary school, I had 5 year olds having fists fights over the "yellow crayon." Kids learn what parents teach. Children like this should be homeschooled. Put the problem child in the hands of it's problem parent and let them deal with their mistake.

[Mandles99]

02:35 PM on 11/17/2011

I call B.S., Kids hit as a means of quick communication, but when an adult ( teacher or parent) takes time to teach them how to communicate and use their words instead of hitting, they will.

[onrecess]

02:51 PM on 11/17/2011

You found this tidbit of wisdom where? You just make it up?

[pauldununfola]

12:37 AM on 11/17/2011

I hate dealing with kids who are raised by wolves. On one hand you don't want to give them a life long criminal record, but on the other hand if this kid doesn't suffer some serious consequences they will most likely be heading for the streets anyway. By the time we get them in Jr high they are mostly unreachable and distract others from learning, and they are too young to drop out.

Its a shame on the parents and if the teacher was injured its her right to press charges when her family is threatened...

[SOLESSS]

11:29 PM on 11/16/2011

She is a child and she is imitating what she sees on the Television screen. She cannot be held accountable for her actions for her mind hasn't fully developed and she does not fully understand right from wrong. She just needs a good influence in her life. As for consequence? Her parents should take the fall.

[cafebeege]

11:57 PM on 11/16/2011

WHAT?!! Or I should say PARDON ME ???!!! A ten year old does not understand right from wrong and KNOW NOT TO HIT THEIR TEACHER ??? Their brains may not be FULLY developed as far as other things until they are older, but THAT MUCH and many other tings they should know well before the age of ten.

[MissusJones]

08:27 AM on 11/17/2011

I think you are both right. She is a child who is a product of her environment. She should be held accountable, but in a way that will help her learn accountability but also become a better person. If we just arrest 10 year olds and give up on them, they will turn into adults we don't want in our society. The goal of punishment in this situation shouldn't be to get back at her, but rather to get her pointed in the right direction in life.

[Rhonda Harvey]

07:42 PM on 11/16/2011

I'm a teacher, and while I've never been HIT by a student, I have been threatened, and the chair in which I was sitting was shoved. Many students come from homes where their parents are either absent or too busy being the kids' "friends" to actually PARENT. Unfortunately, I PROMISE you that this is NOT an isolated incident and happens far more than it's reported.

[cafebeege]

09:14 PM on 11/16/2011

Rhonda, teachers who have to endure this kind of ---- deserve "battle pay" or whatever it's called in the military when they are in a war zone.

I've heard a sarcastic comment made months ago regarding the story about a teacher trying to discipline disrepectful/disruptive kids with the "sneezing/bless you" games. My comment was about the smaller private schools never tolerating this stuff and it's interrupting the teaching time, partly because their parents have to pay a fortune to send their kids there and wouldn't want the teachers to have to waste time on this nonsense. AND the scholarship kids would never do this because they are grateful for the chance to get that education. A sarcastic comment came back in response (probably from a teenager) about the teachers getting paid more, etc. Well, the opposite is true. They don't have unions, they don't have as big salaries or benefits as large, BUT they don't have to put up with this ---- and THAT is why some pretty great teachers, who want to spend their time actually teaching, rather than babysitting/disciplining, take those jobs instead of ones with the big unions.

I give you enormous credit Rhonda. Yeeech......you need those summers off just for R&R it sounds like. WHEW.....

[Rhonda Harvey]

11:08 PM on 11/16/2011

I have to say that I DO love my job...but I don't love dealing with disrespectful kids. Fortunately for me, they are in the minority rather than the majority! :-) When I no longer LOVE the job, I will leave--no one should do this kind of work if they DON'T love it!

[christina444]

06:00 PM on 11/16/2011

Humiliations, spankings and beatings, slaps in the face, betrayal, sexual exploitation, derision, neglect, etc. are all forms of mistreatment, because they injure the integrity and dignity of a child, even if their consequences are not visible right away. Beaten children very early on assimilate the violence they endured.
Most people tolerate this blindly because the origins of human violence in childhood have been and are still being ignored worldwide.

[sassiestkat]

02:54 PM on 11/16/2011

Difficult to know what is better, take it to trial or use a diversion program. If she goes to trial and is sentenced to time in a juvenile facility, from reading statistics it seems she'd be more likely to come out worse, even more inclined to deviant activities, rather than "scaring her straight."

It'd be better to find out what the root of her problem(s) is/are that lead to such violent outbursts and address that and from there, formulate the best plan of action to both help her and reasonably punish her.

[troutster]

02:33 PM on 11/16/2011

Residential schools have a lot more leverage over student behavior than regular 8-3 schools. More residentials - lots more - would really help. A greater investment here would probably curtail truancy, drop outs, and incarcerations.

It's like an ounce of prevention...pay a little now, or a lot more later.

[cafebeege]

09:43 PM on 11/16/2011

Residential/boarding schools are better only IF they are willing to really "parent in absentia" those kids, AND that environment is better than the one they'd be getting at home. I allowed mine to go away under pressure from my in laws because it was tradition in their family. But looking back on it and learning things I didn't anticipate, not sure I'd do it again. You're are turning over influence on your children to total strangers at a time when those kids are at an age when they are very impressionable and soaking things up. I didn't like some of the perceptions/values they developed.

[troutster]

10:06 PM on 11/16/2011

Yeah there are always gonna be the real pros and those not so much. I was thinking about those who major in behavior intervetions for troubled kids. The two that I've had dealings with, as a teacher of kids with behavioral/emotional issues, did fantastic work. But it's not always so, I'm sure.

[troutster]

02:16 PM on 11/16/2011

I teach high school autistic kids, all boys, most bigger than me. I get hit sometimes. I record it everytime, but I don't make a big deal of it until it gets..."serious," routine, consistent. If I got hit in a way that was premeditated, and did me major harm, of course, then I'd call the law. This one with a 10 year old girl, I can't imagine there was a great deal of harm done. Everyone I know would laugh at me calling the law because of a fist punch to the mid section by a little girl. I have my pride. :)

[Califields]

05:40 PM on 11/16/2011

And to classify it as felony battery is an overreaction, IMO. I don't think a 10 year old child should have a felony on their record over what is described in this article. I wonder if that stigma would have to follow her for life if she's convicted, or if it goes away when she turns 18?

[irishdoc]

07:46 PM on 11/16/2011

Except she won't be a little girl forever. She needs to learn now that behavior has consequences.

[cafebeege]

11:14 PM on 11/16/2011

Ahhh.... CONSEQUENCES.......we rarely hear that word today. SO important.

Cause and effect. Action and result. Out of control behavior and consequences......

[Ossit]

01:39 PM on 11/16/2011

“Ok, I strongly disagree. I have two well adjusted grown up kids that I raised this way and after they were grown have told me" Dad, thanks for the way you and Mom raised us it has helped us in life. So it worked perfectly for me.”

So you're only well adjusted when you spank and put a belt to someone? Of course they thanked you. They knew no other way.

[Havana Thinks]

10:01 AM on 11/16/2011

Why is this 10 year old girl's face on HuffPo? I find it wrong and hope the parent(s) sue whomever is responsible for releasing a minor's photo in such a manner. The little girl is a juvenile and even if she is prosecuted, she can have her conviction expunged if she remains out of trouble.

[irishdoc]

07:48 PM on 11/16/2011

Behavior has consequences. Including being social ostracized for being a brat. According to the story, the mother agreed to have the child interviewed for a news program. Clearly the mother consented for the child to be publicly humiliated.

[quedog]

09:44 AM on 11/16/2011

this child needs a 1959 butt whoppin and then a big hug

[tubajew]

06:10 AM on 11/17/2011

Wrong. The child needs to be sterilized so she can't breed.

[quedog]

10:32 AM on 11/17/2011

fine but she still needs a butt wup
if she were one of my kids i would ter dat ads, fo sho
believe

[Blaq Ninja]

03:08 PM on 11/21/2011

Its that what someone did to you when you were 10 years old?

[evecaren]

08:13 AM on 11/16/2011

The grade five teacher, Kelly Sanchez had every right to take the student's halloween candy away from her. Ms. Sanchez wouldn't have taken the candy away from the female student without a reason. My guess would be that the female student probably was eating the candy during the class and Ms. Sanchez, the teacher, really had no choice but to take the candy away from the student. Then apparently according to the sherrif's report, Ms. Sanchez put the halloween candy in her own desk.. The female student then went behind the teacher's desk, took the candy out of the teacher's desk, and start throwing the candies at the other students. As a retired teacher, I personally would have handled the situation differently. First of all, after the female student threw the candy at the other students, she lost any hope of getting the candy back as a natural consequence to throwing the candy at the other students in the class. I personally wouldn't even have given the candy back to the mother at the end of the day. When the student started throwing things off the teacher's desk, that's destroying the teacher's personal property. At that point, I would have asked the help of another student to buzz the office and request assistance from administration. Administration had no choice but to contact the police. It is appropriate after these violent choices of behaviour, that the female grade five student was arrested and charged with felony battery.