Update: We have made several attempts in recent days to contact Maack. She has not returned our phone calls. Racine Unified has also declined comment on Maack or the incident. The district said the matter is under investigation. They also released that Maack started teaching in Unified in February 2005.
Original Story: A teacher at Starbuck Middle School is under investigation for chasing a student around a classroom and wrestling with her, according to a Racine Police report.
Teacher Amy Maack allegedly got into an altercation with a student on March 11 at the school, which is located at 1516 Ohio St.
Police were called in to investigate the incident, including possible assault charges against the student. Instead, their report concluded that no assault took place and that Maack mishandled the incident, said the police report, which was written by Officer T.A. Johnson. Officer Vic Cera also responded to the incident.
"After I talked to Officer Cera, it was both of our opinions there was no criminal assault and that we found it questionable as to why the child was put in the hall, then chased, and grabbed by the teacher," Johnson wrote in the report. "We agreed that there might have been some better responses to the situation; both on the child, but more so that of the teacher in this incident."
The police report (click here for a PDF of the report) adds that Starbuck Vice Principal Jacquelin Brownell seemed "distressed" by Maack's actions.
"I then spoke to Ms. Brownell who in my opinion seemed distressed at the actions/response of the teacher in this incident," Johnson wrote.
Johnson noted in the report that he had a "conflict of interest with the child and her family." The conflict of interest was not explained.
The altercation allegedly began after Maack gave one of her students a one-hour detention for getting a blue slip from a substitute teacher. Maack then ordered the girl to stand outside the classroom in the hallway. When the girl came back in to get her books, Maack allegedly chased her around the room, grabbed the girl's arm and ended up wrestling with her on the classroom floor, the report said.
Maack and the student ended up in the principal's office. Police were called in to investigate a possible assault charge against the student. During the police investigation, Maack said she wasn't injured during the incident. After Brownell pointed out there could be no assault without an injury, Maack told police her thumb hurt and she may have a mark on her left arm.
Two student statements about the incident said that Maack chased the girl, tried to grab her, and then grabbed the student's arm and took her out of class, the report said.
Both Johnson and Cera concluded no criminal assault took place. They agreed, along with Brownell, to handle the incident within the school. The report concludes that Maack, the student and the student's father were satisfied with handling the incident within school.
On March 12, Maack appeared at the Racine Police Department to have photos taken of her injuries. Officer K. San Felippo took photos of a bruise on Maack's left arm, her left shoulder where she felt pain, two bruise marks on her back, a red mark on her middle finger on her left hand, and red marks and scrapes on her left forearm and elbow.
San Felippo also noted in his report that Officer Voss, with the Racine Police Department, told him Maack was assaulted by a student at Starbuck.
Unified declined to release Maack's teaching status on Monday. Sandra Brand, principal at Starbuck, said personnel and student confidentiality prevented her from commenting on the incident.
Maack, 38, is the music director at Starbuck. Her husband, David Maack, serves on the Racine City Council and is Racine County's director of emergency management.
Here we go again..............
ReplyDeleteI don't condone the way the teacher handled the incident, but teaching is a stressful and exhausting job. Sounds like she snapped.
ReplyDeleteThis teacher should be fired.
ReplyDeleteIt is very clear to me after reading the police reports that this teacher was out of line, and is now trying to cover her rear end by filing a bogus assault report to perhaps save her job. This teacher has "her own policy" with regard to disciplining students?? If that were my child, I would settle for nothing less than termination of the teacher.
ReplyDeleteIt is also interesting to note that her husband is an alderman. I would hope he does not try and intimidate police officials and use his aldermanic position in an unethical way to get whatever result his spouse is looking for.
Stressful job or not, teachers should be held to a higher standard in any community, ESPECIALLY within Racine Unified, which already has numerous problems to begin with.
I doubt that the alderman would get involved, good grief, sounds like you have deeper issues with the Macks than we know of. Relax.
ReplyDeleteWe weren't there, we didn't see it, and some of those kids are adults in the way they "fight" and carry on. The principal appears to have overreacted, let us just see how it plays out. It appears that this is quite overblown in the long run and a few bloggers seem to want it to be overblown.....
winterwitch:
ReplyDeleteI don't even know the Macks. I just know how some politicians operate, especially in this Mayberry city. Hopefully I'm wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if you are Mrs. or Mr. Mack to be quite honest with you.
I see divorce papers being filed already. lmao
ReplyDeleteExcuse me, but because I say let's get the facts means I must be the Mack's? I still think you have some sort of problem with them and NO I am not the Macks. I just prefer to see what the facts are first.
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ReplyDeleteWhy hasn't Mack rsponded to any phone calls? Only guilty people refuse to talk. Innocent people talk non stop to clear their name. Hmmmm????
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the full police report, I have to apologize to the anon. blogger. It does seem that the principal handled the situation appropriately. I hate to say this, but I was dead wrong.
ReplyDeleteBoy, looking at all the deleted comments, I'd have to say the Post is getting as pathetic as the Urinal Times.
ReplyDeleteHey, don't blame us for rude comments; it's some readers -- or maybe just one -- who can't be civil. But we remove 'em as soon as they're posted.
ReplyDelete"Both Johnson and Cera concluded no criminal assault took place. They agreed, along with Brownell, to handle the incident within the school."
ReplyDeletePolice are all knowing. Enough said.
I go to this school and that teacher is crazy i hate her and she should be fired for this bullcrap she started... it aint the first time she's gotten into a fight...my friend got into a fight with her, too. she needs to be fired, if ms.brand has the guts, she would fire ms.maack. well w/e idc she can rot in heck!
ReplyDeleteTo 7/3/08 The moral decay of American Society began with us and seems to have continued with you. Lack of moral value, and no respect for authority seem to be a recurrent theme amongst modern American youths. With any luck you'll be able to hold a temp job, or flip burgers at Mickey D's. That is until you open your mouth, and find yourself seeking new employment.
ReplyDeletei go to this school and last year (2008) she was not there for over a month because everyone was saying she started strangling one of my friends i am so happy i dont have her anymore
ReplyDeleteFire her! Why would you accept her to work there?
ReplyDeleteYou know... I was going to jump on the bandwagon but stopped and thought about this. If this were back 15-20 years or more there would have been no problem. Sounds like the kids could have been thumbing her nose a the teacher by walking back in after being removed. She could have waited until after class was done to get them. Some of these little brats need the old "nun" treatments to be honest since there parents are too spinless to do any real dicipline at home. On another note, maybe Amy should use some of that frustration with her own daughter too. I have neen that little snot out with her parents for dinner. What at mouth on that kid.
ReplyDeleteshe is an awesome teacher and it takes alot for her to go over the edege and she is very kind and she did the right thing and people who say she should be fired no you are wrong she is a wonderful person
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