School forces soaking wet girl to stand outside during drill

[King Ghidorah]

A Minnesota public high school was so committed to obeying its fire drill policy to the exact letter of the law that it forced a female student–dressed only in a swimsuit, and sopping wet–to stand outside in the freezing cold for ten minutes. As a result, she suffered frostbite.

Administrators wouldn’t let the student retrieve her clothes, sit in a car or wait inside another building, according to WCCO.

The trouble began when a small science experiment triggered the fire alarm at Como Park Senior High School in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fourteen-year-old Kayona Hagen-Tietz was swimming in the school pool for health class at the time. Her clothes were in her locker, and a teacher told her that there was no time for her to change. Hagen-Tietz was rushed outside–still wet and dressed in only swimsuit.

It was 5 degrees below zero in St. Paul that day. With the windchill, it was 25 degrees below zero.

Hagen-Tietz asked to wait inside an employee’s car, or at the elementary school across the street. But administrators believed that this would violate official policy, and could get the school in trouble, so they opted to simply let the girl freeze.

Her fellow classmates, at least, huddled around her to try to keep her warm. And one teacher did eventually lend her a coat.

Still, Hagen-Tietz came down with frostbite on her feet, according to her mother, Eva Tietz, who took her to the doctor as soon as she found out what had happened.

Eva Tietz told National Review that the school was wrong to put a wet, unclothed kid out in the cold.

“Immediately, when they had seen that, they should have had some kind of protocol,” she said in a statement.

Tietz also noted that she would have been arrested for doing such a thing to her child.

“If I had a fire and brought my children out in that condition, you know, I’m sure I would be charged in some way or another if I didn’t instantly bring them into a neighbor’s house or someplace else,” she said, according to WCCO. “The ultimate goal is to keep them safe and protect your children, and, in this instance, they did a really poor job.”

Tietz wants the school to issue an apology and reexamine its fire policies.

The school district issued a statement saying only that it routinely reviews such policies.

Principal Dan Mesick did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more: dailycaller.com/2014/03/03/school-forces-half-naked-sopping-wet-student-to-stand-outside-frostbite-results/#ixzz2v5VfSc2T

[The Scuba Guy]

They should sue the school.

They said they were worried about getting in trouble, and they were more worried about that than the safety of this student, so they should get in trouble from the family.

This is such a stupid situation.

[King Ghidorah]

Mar 5, 2014 12:41:50 GMT -5 The Scuba Guy said:

They should sue the school.

They said they were worried about getting in trouble, and they were more worried about that than the safety of this student, so they should get in trouble from the family.

This is such a stupid situation.

Basically, because of the lawsuit happy nation we live in, their choice was getting away from the lion by hiding in a bears cave.

[Amazing Kitsune]

Ah yes, you have to love the logic of bureaucracy:

"No, we can't let you avoid frostbite, we might get in trouble."

"What, you mean you got frostbite? Oh no, we're in troubled now."

[Deleted]

It says a lot that other kids tried to keep her warm and the teachers didn't.

[Push R Truth]

Mar 5, 2014 13:05:07 GMT -5 @akeem said:

It says a lot that other kids tried to keep her warm and the teachers didn't.

Serious answer: That's the first thing I thought of too. I think it really says something when the children are the only ones obviously doing the critical thinking here. Bravo for those that tried to help.


Joke answer: If a teacher tried to keep her warm they would probably get tossed in jail for improper touching.

[Psy]

...it wasn't a drill though. I mean, yeah, she should have been allowed to get in a car or go across to the other school so she could be warm. There was no reason she couldn't have been taken care of. However, the teachers that didn't let her go to her locker were right -

The trouble began when a small science experiment triggered the fire alarm at Como Park Senior High School in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fourteen-year-old Kayona Hagen-Tietz was swimming in the school pool for health class at the time. Her clothes were in her locker, and a teacher told her that there was no time for her to change. Hagen-Tietz was rushed outside–still wet and dressed in only swimsuit.

The teacher didn't know at the time that it was only a small science experiment. They just knew that a drill was not planned and the fire alarm went off. That means, "There's a fire!" and the teacher did the right thing in ushering her out. She just shouldn't have been made to sit in the cold in only a bathing suit.

I should think that it would be extremely easy to prove the injury was caused by negligence in court. That school better settle out-of-court.

[Brood Lone Wolf Funker]

Honestly though a lot of the drills aren't planned some are because of wiring or accidents and some times the drills aren't announced to test the reaction of people. If you know a drill is coming all the time you get complacent. When I was in High School they would only announce one drill a month the rest that happened weren't planned

[The Scuba Guy]

Mar 5, 2014 12:48:23 GMT -5 King Ghidorah said:

Mar 5, 2014 12:41:50 GMT -5 The Scuba Guy said:

They should sue the school.

They said they were worried about getting in trouble, and they were more worried about that than the safety of this student, so they should get in trouble from the family.

This is such a stupid situation.

Basically, because of the lawsuit happy nation we live in, their choice was getting away from the lion by hiding in a bears cave.

They could have put the girl in a car. She was soaking f***ing wet. Give her the benefit of the doubt. Even keeping the door open wouldn't have been as bad as just leaving her in the cold for ten minutes. Shit.

[King Ghidorah]

Mar 5, 2014 13:50:07 GMT -5 The Scuba Guy said:

Mar 5, 2014 12:48:23 GMT -5 King Ghidorah said:

Basically, because of the lawsuit happy nation we live in, their choice was getting away from the lion by hiding in a bears cave.

They could have put the girl in a car. She was soaking f***ing wet. Give her the benefit of the doubt. Even keeping the door open wouldn't have been as bad as just leaving her in the cold for ten minutes. Shit.

That opens a while different can of worms, The school would have to outline circumstances under which students are allowed to be in the car of an employee. The employees would have to probably be first aid/cpr certified as the situation would be considered an emergency. The employees who wish to participate would have to sign releases indemnifying the school in the event something goes wrong. The children's parents would have to opt into the program. The kid couldn't be left unsupervised, what if she went into shock? What if she stole the car? Then the school is responsible anyway. Logic/Law are often at ends with each other

[Zaq "That Guy" Buzzkill]

Talk about frozen Tietz.

[Deleted]

Its a high school right? Weren't there any kids there with cars they could have put her in?

I don't know - if I were in a similar situation I would have told the teachers to suspend me or whatever and walked off campus to someone's car or the elementary school.

[The Scuba Guy]

Mar 5, 2014 13:56:58 GMT -5 King Ghidorah said:

Mar 5, 2014 13:50:07 GMT -5 The Scuba Guy said:

They could have put the girl in a car. She was soaking f***ing wet. Give her the benefit of the doubt. Even keeping the door open wouldn't have been as bad as just leaving her in the cold for ten minutes. Shit.

That opens a while different can of worms, The school would have to outline circumstances under which students are allowed to be in the car of an employee. The employees would have to probably be first aid/cpr certified as the situation would be considered an emergency. The employees who wish to participate would have to sign releases indemnifying the school in the event something goes wrong. The children's parents would have to opt into the program. The kid couldn't be left unsupervised, what if she went into shock? What if she stole the car? Then the school is responsible anyway. Logic/Law are often at ends with each other

What about just putting her into her own car, provided she had one?

Safety and well being of students should come before worrying about what trouble they could get in. It's a school. The kids should ALWAYS come first, no matter what.

Mar 5, 2014 14:09:39 GMT -5 @personman01 said:

Its a high school right? Weren't there any kids there with cars they could have put her in?

I don't know - if I were in a similar situation I would have told the teachers to suspend me or whatever and walked off campus to someone's car or the elementary school.

Same here. To force someone to stand outside like that is ridiculous.

[Bootista]

Stupid School. So its better for her to get Frostbite?

[King Ghidorah]

Mar 5, 2014 14:43:04 GMT -5 Bootista said:

Stupid School. So its better for her to get Frostbite?

Financially speaking, it's going to be much cheaper to settle out of court.

[RedSmile]

Mar 5, 2014 13:50:07 GMT -5 The Scuba Guy said:

Mar 5, 2014 12:48:23 GMT -5 King Ghidorah said:

Basically, because of the lawsuit happy nation we live in, their choice was getting away from the lion by hiding in a bears cave.

They could have put the girl in a car. She was soaking f***ing wet. Give her the benefit of the doubt. Even keeping the door open wouldn't have been as bad as just leaving her in the cold for ten minutes. Shit.

...or better yet, they could've postponed the drill until this week when temps are gonna be in the upper 30's instead subzero.

Everyone of those chickenshit administrators should be canned for making an entire school stand out in that.

[The Scuba Guy]

Mar 5, 2014 14:52:07 GMT -5 RedSmile said:

Mar 5, 2014 13:50:07 GMT -5 The Scuba Guy said:

They could have put the girl in a car. She was soaking f***ing wet. Give her the benefit of the doubt. Even keeping the door open wouldn't have been as bad as just leaving her in the cold for ten minutes. Shit.

...or better yet, they could've postponed the drill until this week when temps are gonna be in the upper 30's instead subzero.

Everyone of those chickenshit administrators should be canned for making an entire school stand out in that.

To be fair, it wasn't a drill, the alarm went off because of a science class. But still, they should've handled it a lot better.

[Cela]

Sue away.

[h]

A culture of suing for every little thing has put the school in a position in which they can't win. The school is left with no option that won't lead to a lawsuit, and then the school faces a lawsuit ("You let my daughter leave the campus wearing a wet bathing suit???" "You let a teenager girl wearing a bathing suit sit in a staff member's car???" "You expect me to believe that there was no damage to the car when she got there???" "You let my daughter stay in the school during an unplanned emergency evacuation???" "You did absolutely anything to deviate from the established procedure???").

This leaves the culture that has caused the problem to point its their finger in disgust at the school that they have stripped options away from. The reaction is amplified because it's a school, and schools are an easy target.

Did I get it right?