Who would have thought that a teacher would be sending death threats to a student? And at the very institution that is entrusted to keep children safe and show them alternatives to a life of crime and violence. Well, this was the case last Thursday, November 21 at the Pembroke Hall High School located in St. Andrew, Jamaica.
Marsha Lee Crawford, a teacher, was caught on video hurling insults and threats to a young man, in the classroom, after he allegedly spoke out of turn while class was in session.
In the almost three-minute-long video, a young lady from another class entered with a note and handed it to the teacher. The teacher then attempted to read it but handed it back and said “Give this back to Mr. Salmon.” The young man, from Crawford’s class, could be heard trying to speak to the young lady and telling her not to tell lies about him. It was alleged that when he left to buy pens, a phone was stolen from another classroom and he might be a suspect.
Crawford got upset telling him to “stop the noise.” In return, the young man answered her and said “So why them a tell lie pon me.” Clearly, his tone infuriated her as she turned to him and repeatedly asked him whom he was shouting at and if she looked like his ‘mumma’ in a loud voice.
The student took the comment as an insult and quizzed the teacher about why she was telling him about his mother. This further enraged her and she said “You a handicap, yuh nuh have nuh sense! Mi mash up pickney head in here, mi wi murder you inna diss.”
She went on in a rage saying “me will kill you in yah bwoy, mi head nu nice ask anybody about Ms. Crawford.” There was a back and forth with the young man and she continued to threaten him, telling him that she will kill him and that if he survives before the week ended, he should know what he is doing. She then ran him out of the classroom while continuing to pass derogatory comments.
This incident has entered the social media space highlighting the constant altercations whether verbal or otherwise between teachers and students, teachers and parents or parents and students.
According to an RJR news article, Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Karl Samuda, yesterday chided the teacher, saying her conduct was “unacceptable” and had “no place in our schools.”
Reports are that Thursday’s incident was not the first time the teacher had made such outbursts.
Rev Claude Ellis, the principal, said administrators would rely on the Education Regulations, 1980 – a code outlining disciplinary and other procedures, in probing the incident.
“I can’t speak to possible sanctions, but what I know is that the code of regulations outlines what are the procedures that are followed when there are instances at school where there are any... issues, whether it be student to student, student to teacher, student to parent,” Ellis told The Gleaner.
We need to take into consideration the imbalance in society, social class divisions and mental health. Comments on social media are suggesting that she has a right to express her disgust and frustration at the young man, after her constant reprimand for his behaviour. This was just another day in Jamaican society, some reportedly expressed.
However, a level of respect for each other's needs should be recovered in society as handling conflicts should be professional and without violence. Reports are that just this month, teachers were assaulted at three schools, so Crawford’s behaviour might have been in defence of trying to prevent such an incident. However, conflict resolution is of utmost importance in Jamaica, as we continue to suffer from high number of murders with approximately 1,160 so far according to the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Crime Statistics.
Let us work together to find subtle corrective measures to handle disputes.
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