BRICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- Brick Township school officials might ban cell phones after a student's phone cam videotaped a teacher's outburst.
Students said the teacher began yelling when students failed to show respect to the national anthem.
The tape was posted on several independent Web sites.
It shows Stuart Mantel telling his high school class to stand and keep quiet while "The Star Spangled Banner" is played. The teacher screamed at a student who whistled and told students to stop whispering.
Mantel approached a student who remained seated during the anthem and told him to stand. When the boy told the teacher he didn't have to, the teacher pulled the chair from under him.
You can see video of the event at the link above.
First of all, the teacher approached the situation all wrong. He lost control. Screaming at a student is not the most effective way to encourage them to show respect to our flag and national anthem. If anything its only going to breed contempt. There is a better way to get the message across to the student.
Second, why is the school considering banning cell phones after this? Shouldn't their first reaction be to discipline the teacher who obviously lost control in the classroom?
(via Michelle Malkin)