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Schools investigate another tale of tape

A third-grade teacher threatened to tape shut some of his students' mouths, officials say.

By MELANIE AVE
Published December 17, 2005

TAMPA - Hillsborough County school officials are investigating why a Citrus Park Elementary third-grade teacher taped shut the mouths of some of his students earlier this month.

School spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said the teacher, who was not named, placed brown wrapping tape on some of the mouths of his 16 students during class Dec. 5.

"The kids were loud and rowdy," she said. "He said jokingly, "If you don't be quiet, I'm going to tape all your mouths shut.' One boy taped his own mouth shut. Other kids followed.

"They thought it was funny."

Cobbe said it was unclear how many children the teacher taped. But, she acknowledged, the teacher "didn't use good judgment."

When the children went to another class, their mouths remained taped. Another teacher reported the incident to the assistant principal, who notified district officials.

Parents were notified by phone. Only a couple were upset, Cobbe said.

The teacher is still in the classroom while the investigation continues. He could face disciplinary action, which ranges from a verbal reprimand to firing.

"They haven't removed him from the classroom because it wasn't malicious," Cobbe said.

In Pinellas County, taping became an issue earlier this week when a Dunedin Elementary School kindergartener accused the bus driver of putting duct tape across his mouth. The district closed its investigation Friday after no other children said they witnessed any taping. The bus driver and aide deny the incident ever happened.

[Last modified December 17, 2005, 01:00:13]