Juvenile justice officials face tough questions
Thursday, November 30th, 2006
By Chris Fitzsimon
Beating of teacher, other cases draw lawmakers’ probe
DAVID INGRAM
dingram@charlotteobserver.com
RALEIGH - State lawmakers grilled the officials in charge of the N.C. juvenile justice system Wednesday over a string of violence at a residential school near Asheville, including the severe beating of a teacher in August.
Teacher Tom Donohue was in class when, according to officials, two students began punching and kicking him. Donohue eventually lost consciousness and was taken to a hospital, where doctors thought he might have brain damage.
He has mostly recovered, but the case has drawn the attention of legislators and the State Bureau of Investigation. It has also raised questions about the operation of the juvenile justice system, a web of residential schools, wilderness camps and community programs intended to rehabilitate juvenile offenders.
"What happened to my husband that day was the result of policies made here in Raleigh," said Donohue’s wife, Carolyn, who spoke Wednesday to a legislative panel that oversees the juvenile justice system.
For example, she and others have criticized the state’s policy of rarely using uniformed police officers or sheriff’s deputies at schools such as the one in Swannanoa, near Asheville. Instead, the schools rely on regular staff members who are trained to restrain juvenile offenders. (more…)
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