Jack Waterhouse
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10pm, Saturday July 11th, 2009Comment
Tags: facebook, news, online
Earlier this week, news that Nottinghamshire teacher Peter Harvey was arrested for the attempted murder of one of his students broke. BBC News is now reporting that he’s been remanded in custody.
Regardless of what you make of the story, it should be obvious that details are a little sketchy; things have only been going for a few days or so, and nothing major has got out yet.
Nevertheless, some people have managed to prove their stupidity by offering completely unwanted and idiotic opinions on social networking sites like Facebook. Here’s a couple that made me cringe:
Jack Waterhouse looks like a little shit that deserves beatings.
— from the Facebook group of the same name, by one Scott Haynes.
You are a hero to the average, respectable, working man. Kick these little gobshites back to their chavy council estates. Another fooking kid whose mother is sponging off the state
Jack Waterhouse is almost certainly a fresh-mouthed little smart arse that needed a good slapping. I blame the (single) mother.
Apologies for the language and distasteful comments, but I wanted to get this across. Why people think they have a right to do this on the Internet is totally beyond me – it’s not even like they’re doing it because of anonymity. It’s ridiculous; part of me hopes it’s illegal, because frankly I’d love to see what would happen if some of these people had legal proceedings taken against them.
Oh, I couldn’t help but update this post after seeing the latest comment on the original group, linked above:
He looks like a right cheeky shit , unaware of who his father is.. what the class put that teacher through was awful, no respect at all
That from Jake William James French of Coquet High School, Newcastle. No offence Jake, but if we’re judging based on looks—as I’d guess you yourself are—your profile picture doesn’t seem much better.
13th July, 1am: I keep telling myself there’s no point arguing with trolls, and there’s no point arguing with idiots. I need to spend less time on Facebook, before it drives me insane. Joe Jimothy, from the lovely state of Pennsylvania, has this to say:
In my country we would have stoned him.
Really, Joe? Stoning’s legal in the US, is it? Moron.
My name’s Alex Muller.
I have to agree. I’ve been stunned by the bile and hatred directed towards this lad with no real evidence of what he’s supposed to have done. So far as the press has told us, he got into a shouting match with the teacher. Methinks this does not justify GBH but apparently most of the population (and even teachers) disagree with me. I’m especially amazed by the teaching profession’s reaction where instead of waiting for the trial they’ve used it as an excuse to talk about workplace stress and how evil kids are. Similarly political trolls are using it to justify bringing back national service/the cane/regular beatings for boys with spikey hair etc. The reactions to this case have destroyed any faith I had in the English as an intelligent people…
Bigotry makes you look like a shit Ste. Your poorly based, biased statement is discredited by your last remark of loosing faith in “the English as an intelligent people.” Learn social evolution.
Alex,
I agree with you about the distastefulness about these comments, and, yes, they are unacceptable. No matter if the teacher was provoked or otherwise, his response was unacceptable, and those who think otherwise should be ashamed of themselves.
However, I do take issue when you say that “part of [you] hopes it’s illegal” to say these things. I object to this because freedom of speech is such an important basic right that under no circumstances should anyone have legal proceedings taken against them for something they’ve said. Whilst this does allow some idiots to spew forth vile things, it is a small price to pay for the much larger pay-off of living in a relatively free society. Just because someone seems to be wrong doesn’t mean that we can withhold their right to speak. Whether we choose to listen is another matter.
I’m not sure if you said this in jest, but I shall assume you meant it seriously. I apologise if I come off too preachy, but it is a serious point, and I hope you can understand where I’m coming from.
Chris: I take your point, and I’m not sure what the nice middle ground is; I’m just not happy with the idea that anybody can publicly defame (that’s not quite right, but I’m no lawyer so I’m not sure what the correct terminology is) somebody else with no repercussions whatsoever. At the absolute minimum, Facebook should be taking more action against these comments than they currently are.
Thinking more about this, perhaps it’s the fact that it’s happened on a “communal” site which is bothering me. I don’t think I’d care quite as much if they were doing it on their on websites; I’m not sure why, that’s only a thought I had just now.
Re: Stu on Ste- what is this bigotry you’re speaking about? Am a little curious as currently the Jack Waterhouse page is even nastier and one of the posters (“Phil”) is popping up on the official Mr Harvey group. A lot of the posts there are also along the lines of “Little shit deserved it”. Now, you may not see this as a problem, but when the Facebook-hating Mail get hold of it they’re bound to run with the story and it’ll get picked up by the US papers – via Drudge who loves posting alarmist Mail stories. Before you know it the foreign press will be full of “Brit Internet nerds laugh at assaulted child – say its okay to beat kids half to death”, and then the whole country will be portrayed as morons in the eyes of the world. It’s not going to be good.
i think its unfair that people think this as they ave no idea of what actually happened…i attend that school and know jack waterhouse and think that what people say is totally unfair and i think its true that it would be totaly different if it was there child that got beat by a teacher people make me sick!
I think this is distasteful to be frank. Everybody knows how teachers are treated like shit. I go to that school too and that was my teacher. He was a good teacher and a good man too. I’m not a idiot as you’re probably going to call me from now on because I argued with you all and said that you’re all wrong, but it’s pretty obvious that when somebody is treated like that for so long, they are going to break, you claim that talking to idiots on facebook is going to send you insane, imagine trying to teach 11 to 18 year old kids who think they are better than you, for little money and no reward at the end of it. If i was Peter Harvey I would have done the same thing and fucking harder too.
Nice one Jordan – agree 100%
Can not believe u said that jordan. what you said about lower salary and nasty kids can not be a excuse to beat the shit out of a kid or any kid…..
OK pupils of that age can be very nasty, but there are many ways to control unacceptable behaviour, as a proffessional teacher you ought to know this.
Why they let him teaching anyway? A person who is called a ticking time bomb because of stress gives signals to his environments. Why didn’t his fellow workers picking up these signals and putting him non active?
let me remind you people:
a good teacher never beats children!!!!!
noogie
physics teacher
A Teachers job is to be a role model, and show children how they will be expected to behave in the future. This is their vocation and what they will be paid to do. Teachers know the job involves a great deal of patience and teaching their subject formas just a small part of theit role. As adults we have to teach younger generations that violence is never appropriate. If a teacher stoops to this level then he is not suitable to teach.
I agree entirely, a teacher should not cross that line. As other commenters have said, they are meant to be role models. I found this example of other online hatred: http://ptwd.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-look-like-total-clunge.html
Wrong Jordan, we are going to call you AN idiot, for forgetting one of the most basic grammar rules ever. In the history of mankind. Seriously. Epic Fail. Kill it with fire.
Hi
Just came across this blog and thought I’d make a few comments. I attended this school for 5 years and Peter Harvey was my physics teacher for 3 of them. I am by no means defending his actions OR Jack’s but there is no denying that this teacher was a good one. Yes, he was not the best teacher but he was one of the older, more well respected teachers within the school and the local communtiy. He was always willing to have a laugh but he knew where to draw the line and expected his pupils to work (thats how he got results). As I still have siblings in the school I have heard more RUMOURS than most. Mr Harvey was apparently very ill prior to this event occuring and was probably not fully recovered when he returned to continue with his post. Irrelevant of Jack’s background and track record he did not deserve what happened that day (whatever ‘that’ was). However pupils should have respect for thier teachers and if the rumours are true then both his and his classmates behaviour to a TEACHER was highly unacceptable. If this event has highlighted some problems that teachers have to face then I think they should be listened too. I have experienced many a lesson where teachers and substitute teachers have been subjected to all sorts of behaviour even reducing one (male) teacher to tears. This is not acceptable and maybe all of these people who have absolutely no idea what actually went on (NB. I’m not saying that I do) should keep their awful opinions to themselves-for the sake of both sides of this event. I only feel sorry for Mr Harvey that such a brilliant career has been ruined by the acts of some very cruel children and an unfortunate lack of self-control.