12.13.06
Tape tangle continues at BHS
Tape tangle continues at BHS
Incident led to laughs, then concern for boy, students say
BY LISA SCHENCKER, Californian staff writer
e-mail: lschencker@bakersfield.com | Tuesday, Dec 12 2006 9:35 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday, Dec 12 2006 9:39 PM
What began as a joke soon turned serious when a Bakersfield High teacher duct-taped a student’s mouth shut last week, said several students who witnessed the incident.
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Students said the freshman science class thought duct-taping the student’s mouth and fingers was funny at first, but the mood grew more somber once students saw the boy was upset.
According to district officials, teacher Carol Humphrey allegedly taped a student’s mouth and fingers after the boy made noises by tapping his finger against his cheek during class. Humphrey has been placed on paid administrative leave while the district investigates.
Humphrey has declined to comment on the incident. She has been with the district for 35 years and has had no past disciplinary problems, said district spokesman John Teves.
“Everyone was just sitting there laughing and it was a big joke,” said ninth-grader Patrick Carraway, who said he was in the class. “Then at the end it wasn’t really funny. I could see he wasn’t looking very happy.”
Several students said Humphrey got upset after the boy made the noise. According to the students, she then pulled a roll of duct tape out of her desk and tore off several pieces. Humphrey then taped the boy’s shirt collar over his mouth and taped his fingers “so he wasn’t able to remove the tape,” Carraway said.
Students said at that point, they started laughing. Students then asked if they could take pictures with their cell phones, said freshman Maria Vasquez, who also said she was in the class at the time.
“People were freaked out that Ms. Humphrey did that,” Vasquez said.
Several BHS students interviewed Tuesday said a picture of the incident has been making the rounds among students.
According to several students, the boy walked to an administrator’s office after class to report the incident. Humphrey was placed on leave the same day, Dec. 5.
Several students said the science class where the incident happened is a rowdy one where a lot of students misbehave.
“Our actions in the class could have led up to it,” Carraway said. “She could have gotten fed up. I really didn’t feel too good about what happened.”
Several other students who were not in the class said they think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion.
“In her defense, she’s very patient,” senior Detrec Hollins said of Humphrey.
“I think a teacher should be able to joke with kids and have fun because it would make it boring for the kids if they don’t have fun in class,” said junior Emmanuel Ojeriakhi.
Teves said he’s not aware of any sort of similar incident at the district in the past.
He said district officials took statements from students in the class after the incident. No law enforcement agencies are involved because the district does not believe Humphrey assaulted the boy, Teves said.
