Reuben Riley fired from Wyoming coaching job for being "too physical"

Submitted by Boner Stabone on

Not sure if anyone saw this, but I think this absolutely sucks for Ruben.  A Michigan guy just doing his job and some disrespectful student goes off and possibly ruins a great guy's career.  Hopefully, there are some good MGO Lawyers out there to help Ruben get his job back.  This just makes me sick.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2016/01/wyoming_schools_coach_fired_af.html#incart_river_home

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http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2016/01/wyoming_schools_coach_fired_af.html#incart_river_home

mgofro

January 29th, 2016 at 2:16 PM ^

The kid admitted on the news video that he was thrown out of class for being loud. There's also plenty of witnesses that say he took a swing at Riley first. It sounds to me like this kid was being a hard ass and needed to be taught a lesson. Let's not forget the Jayru Campbell incident, this kid would have probably slammed Riley if he was half his size. 

Joined: 01/18/2016

MGoPoints: 4558

MGoStu

January 29th, 2016 at 2:04 PM ^

He should have shown more restraint, but there's a limit. I don't know how we got to the point that all teachers have to have the self control of Ghandi, but if I had ever taken a swing at a teacher, my mom would've been fine with him putting me on the ground forcefully. My dad would've added to it when I got home. They definitely wouldn't have been on TV whining about the teacher.

Joined: 08/04/2009

MGoPoints: 9686

The Mad Hatter

January 29th, 2016 at 3:23 PM ^

with an object (or ever at all) to "discipline" me I would have murdered them in their sleep.

Kids can be raised without resorting to violence.  We're pretty much the only civilized nation that still takes pride in hitting our children.  And we have the highest crime rates on earth.

Hitting a kid only teaches that kid that violence is an acceptable way to resolve conflicts or to impose your will on someone.  It also teaches them that it's ok for the people that are there to love and protect you to hit you.

/rant over.

Joined: 02/17/2015

MGoPoints: 112109

SpikeFan2016

January 30th, 2016 at 12:03 AM ^

There are two ways people react when they are mistreated:

 

  1. They became the most ardent opponents of the behavior that mistreated them.
  2. They normalize and rationalize their mistreatment to make themselves feel better AND then argue for that mistreatment to be placed upon others. 

Seems like we have a bunch of the latter on here. 

Joined: 04/03/2015

MGoPoints: 6659

bamf16

January 30th, 2016 at 10:16 AM ^

Is being spanked "mistreated?"  I think that's the most common "mistreatment" many faced.  Most of us weren't spanked for EVERY misdeed growing up, but for more egregious misbehavior, mom's or dad's hand cracked a rear end every now and then.  Is that "mistreatment" in any and all cases?

 

Most in society have theorized that for a myriad of reasons, child misbehavior and senses of entitlement are on the rise.  I don't know if there are psychological or sociologica studies that provide hard and fast data, but talk to any daycare worker or teacher, and the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming.  They argue that parents are "allowing their children to get away with more" or "trying to be their friend instead of their parent" and many go right to the "spanking" issue, recognizing that it's fallen out of favor and promoting that spanking is the most effective way to teach children discipline.

 

I think there's a happy medium between what Adrian Peterson did to his child and my cousin who once told our family that she felt disciplining her children stifled their creativity and personality development and now she's raising three hellions who society is going to LOVE when they move out of the house.  

 

And to your last point, some call anything that makes them sad or uncomfortable "mistreatment" and we have a lot of them on here too.

Joined: 01/05/2014

MGoPoints: -100000

jmdblue

January 29th, 2016 at 2:30 PM ^

and I likely will in this case when I hear more facts.... But as a parent my number 1 bitch about schools is the inability to prevent a few misbehaving kids from bringing entire classes down.  Teachers can't teach and the kids who want to learn can't learn.  My parents never hit me in my life, but very likely would have if I took a swing at a teacher or an adult neighbor.  My guesses are:

1) Riley should be released from jail and get his job back after a short suspension and an apology to the kid.

2) The kid should be suspended or expelled depending on past indescretions

3) Mom should be ashamed for sending a kid to school without even the slightest ability to behave

4) every lawyer trying to make a buck out of this should be chained to a urinal at Rick's every weekend for the next month

Joined: 12/01/2010

MGoPoints: 8655

Kapitan Howard

January 29th, 2016 at 3:00 PM ^

Looking back, I could have just ended at the "kids are a dime a dozen" comment and it would have looked like a harmless joke. The next sentence, I can't tell what I was thinking. I need to stop posting in this thread because I'm being a huge jackass. I guess I'll bkame it on the end of a stressful week, apologize, and move on.

Joined: 07/30/2009

MGoPoints: 6599

MGoblu8

January 29th, 2016 at 1:40 PM ^

If you act up in class to the point that you have to be told to leave TWICE, then the mother should be crying that someone had to toss him, but they should be tears of embarrassment at her son's behavior. As for what's on the tape, I hope it's not too bad, but I doubt it will be bad enough for me to agree that this brat is a victim. Maybe I'm just getting old.

Joined: 08/19/2010

MGoPoints: 7373

Danwillhor

January 29th, 2016 at 2:17 PM ^

could SPANK YOU? I'm an 80s baby - product of the 90s - and my school had a MF paddle! I never got it but they had it and there were no permission slips needed, etc. The unspoken rule was not to abuse a kid but if they act like animals to make sure it never happens again. Parents were embarrassed to be called in! Society is soft now and it's getting worse and crazy the way kids know they can do whatever they want until graduation with no punishment that matters.

Joined: 12/02/2008

MGoPoints: 8609

bamf16

January 30th, 2016 at 10:44 AM ^

And found a video where this mother and her son were being interviewed and put on the local news.  

 

Anyone else find that a bit odd?  Your 15 year old child is disruptive enough to be tossed out of class twice and then takes a swing at an adult authority figure in the school, and you allow yourself and your child to be put on the news?  I don't know.  I think it's possible to be both enrgaged at the school because in your opinion your child was assaulted by an adult there yet embarrassed enough at his behavior leading to it to decline.

 

Lastly, what does it say about this child that they would take a swing at a 300 pound man who played in the NFL?  Not to psycho-analyze someone I've never met, but the evidence before us seems to show something interesting.  Why did this kid take a swing at a giant of a human being?  Could it be that the expectation was that he could do whatever he wished to this authority figure with zero consequence in return? 

Joined: 01/05/2014

MGoPoints: -100000

HoustonBlue70

January 29th, 2016 at 1:41 PM ^

As a coach in the public school system you have to walk a very fine line with kids these days. It's hard to teach life lessons, incorperate tough love and fight against the "everyone gets a participation trophy" mentality when this generation has such high levels of self-entitlement. All it takes is one kid to not get his way and have his feelings hurt and your ass is on the line....

Joined: 01/09/2016

MGoPoints: 134

mtzlblk

January 29th, 2016 at 1:50 PM ^

transpired prior to the takedown. 

If there are credible witnesses that can attest to the student taking swings at Riley and he can show that the student was violent and required physical intervention, legally he should be okay. Right? I don't think faculty are required to endure physical assault from a student. 

The family of the teen, based on their language and approach, has already been counseled by an attorney and will no doubt be angling for a settlement. 

Unfortunate the knee jerk reactiionby the school to fire him without some form of due course/investigation. 

Joined: 01/20/2009

MGoPoints: 5019

Seth

January 29th, 2016 at 1:49 PM ^

Edited OP and tile.

Also isn't OT. Well okay he was an OT sometimes and an OG sometimes but it's not OT! Damn it's hard having a football board.

Joined: 10/14/2008

MGoPoints: 149510

Optimism Attache

January 29th, 2016 at 1:53 PM ^

When you're a giant, you gotta be gentle. It's unfair and sucks, but huge dudes absolutely cannot physically move, detain or "take down" anyone without the potential for it be considered an assault. Especially when they are in a position of authority. 

Joined: 09/13/2011

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