A Miami-Dade County Schools teacher suspended for spanking his son in another teacher's classroom has reportedly received approval from an administrative law judge to be reinstated.
According to CBS Miami, Judge John Van Laningham believes Blucher Menelas, a chemistry teacher at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, should be reinstated. Menelas was suspended by the Miami-Dade School Board last November, leading to dismissal proceedings against him for an incident that occurred in February 2019.
Menelas reportedly went to Madie Ives K-8 Preparatory Academy after receiving an email from a teacher, Patricia Costa, claiming his son was begin disruptive in class and behaving poorly, according to the ruling by Judge Van Laningham via CBS Miami. Menelas apologized to Costa's class for his son's behavior and then directed his son to stand in front of the class and hand over his belt, with Menelas then proceeding to spank his son with the belt in front of the class, the ruling stated.
Costa reported the incident to an assistant principal shortly after class and the Miami-Dade School Board alleged that Menelas violated its policy against corporal punishment. Menelas appealed and Judge Van Laningham ruled Tuesday that he, as a parent, had the right to spank the child.
“If Menelas had spanked his son in the same manner in the aisle of a Walmart store, the district would not have jurisdiction to discipline him for such conduct — not, at least, under the charges that have been brought against Menelas in this case,” Van Laningham wrote via CBS Miami's report. “If Menelas were, e.g., an accountant instead of a teacher, the district likewise would be without authority to impose discipline for violating the corporal punishment policy. Yet, there is no basis in the record for the undersigned to make a finding that Menelas would have acted any differently under the circumstances if he were an accountant.”
Judge Van Laningham wrote that Menelas' job was entirely irrelevant to the situation and he was present in the classroom as the student's father, not a teacher.
“He was clearly present in Ms. Costa’s classroom that day as T.M.’s father, not as anyone’s teacher. The unique facts at hand compel the undersigned (judge) to conclude that Menelas — who was neither on duty nor at his worksite during the subject incident, and who, as a parent, had been invited by his son’s teacher to observe his son in her class — cannot be disciplined for violating the corporal punishment policy,” wrote Van Laningham. “The district must treat him no differently than it would treat any other parent who engaged in the same legally sanctioned conduct.”
Judge Van Laningham's ruling will now be considered before the Miami-Dade School Board, which will take final action under administrative law.
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