kpih
01-30-2005, 03:16 PM
Homework-hater takes his maths teacher to court
Richard Luscombe in Miami
Sunday January 30, 2005
The Observer
Schoolboy Peer Larson has made himself so popular with his classmates at Whitnall High School that some of them are wearing T-shirts bearing his picture.
The teenager has taken a step that is the stuff of childish fantasies - he's taking his maths teacher to court to try to stop him dishing out too much homework. In the latest example of what critics say is an out-of-control 'compensation culture' in the United States, Larson claims his summer holidays were ruined by too much calculus.
The 17-year-old from Greenfield, Wisconsin, is suing both his advance calculus teacher, Aaron Bieniek, and his school. 'There's not supposed to be any work when someone is on vacation,' he said. 'It should be my time to pursue whatever I like without having the school following me when it's not even the school year.'
The worry of three complicated maths projects hanging over him ruined his enjoyment of his 40-hour-a-week job as a summer camp counsellor last year. 'Not too many people were exactly happy with it. Nobody really likes to do homework, especially during the summer,' he said.
The lawsuit seeks to restrict homework to the regulated 180 days of the school year and has made Larson and his father, Bruce, minor celebrities in their hometown. 'Some of his classmates have pulled our picture off the internet and printed them on T-shirts that they're now wearing to school,' Bruce Larson said.
But officials of the Whitnall School Board, named as a co-defendant in the action, are furious at having to devote time and resources to defending the 'frivolous' lawsuit and want the Larsons reprimanded or fined.
In a written response to the action in Milwaukee's county court, Wisconsin attorney general Peggy Lautenschlager told judges the state 'has no authority to implement any policy regarding course assignments' and reminded them it had the power to abolish summer vacation altogether and hold year-round classes if it chose.
Bruce Larson said he did not believe any judge would rap him over the knuckles for bringing an action he considers properly researched, even though 16 separate law firms refused to represent his son.
'I went through all the proper channels to ask the district and the state where in the law it says they can set homework outside of the school year,' he said. 'We brought the action only when we didn't get any answers. I'm looking at this to be a constructive experience, not a destructive confrontation.'
Legal experts say the case is indicative of America's growing 'compensation culture' and one of an increasing number of superficial lawsuits brought against schools in recent years. 'I've stopped counting the number of cases where a school is sued every time some little girl doesn't make the cheerleading squad,' said Walter Olson, a research fellow of the Manhattan Institute think tank and editor of the website overlawyered.com. 'Settlements of $100,000 or a million dollars are by no means unknown,' he said.
'Most schools are covered for physical injuries, say if your kid gets hurt out on the sports field, but there's little or no insurance for cases such as verbal harassment, where payouts are potentially huge and school boards are left out on a hook.'
But the system is fighting back. In New York this month a disgruntled former teacher who has brought 18 lawsuits against the city's school board since 1987, seeking millions in damages, was fined $3,000 and banned from further action. Peter Malley, 68, became known as Mr Litigious after being fired by a city high school for 'insubordination and incompetence'.
Richard Luscombe in Miami
Sunday January 30, 2005
The Observer
Schoolboy Peer Larson has made himself so popular with his classmates at Whitnall High School that some of them are wearing T-shirts bearing his picture.
The teenager has taken a step that is the stuff of childish fantasies - he's taking his maths teacher to court to try to stop him dishing out too much homework. In the latest example of what critics say is an out-of-control 'compensation culture' in the United States, Larson claims his summer holidays were ruined by too much calculus.
The 17-year-old from Greenfield, Wisconsin, is suing both his advance calculus teacher, Aaron Bieniek, and his school. 'There's not supposed to be any work when someone is on vacation,' he said. 'It should be my time to pursue whatever I like without having the school following me when it's not even the school year.'
The worry of three complicated maths projects hanging over him ruined his enjoyment of his 40-hour-a-week job as a summer camp counsellor last year. 'Not too many people were exactly happy with it. Nobody really likes to do homework, especially during the summer,' he said.
The lawsuit seeks to restrict homework to the regulated 180 days of the school year and has made Larson and his father, Bruce, minor celebrities in their hometown. 'Some of his classmates have pulled our picture off the internet and printed them on T-shirts that they're now wearing to school,' Bruce Larson said.
But officials of the Whitnall School Board, named as a co-defendant in the action, are furious at having to devote time and resources to defending the 'frivolous' lawsuit and want the Larsons reprimanded or fined.
In a written response to the action in Milwaukee's county court, Wisconsin attorney general Peggy Lautenschlager told judges the state 'has no authority to implement any policy regarding course assignments' and reminded them it had the power to abolish summer vacation altogether and hold year-round classes if it chose.
Bruce Larson said he did not believe any judge would rap him over the knuckles for bringing an action he considers properly researched, even though 16 separate law firms refused to represent his son.
'I went through all the proper channels to ask the district and the state where in the law it says they can set homework outside of the school year,' he said. 'We brought the action only when we didn't get any answers. I'm looking at this to be a constructive experience, not a destructive confrontation.'
Legal experts say the case is indicative of America's growing 'compensation culture' and one of an increasing number of superficial lawsuits brought against schools in recent years. 'I've stopped counting the number of cases where a school is sued every time some little girl doesn't make the cheerleading squad,' said Walter Olson, a research fellow of the Manhattan Institute think tank and editor of the website overlawyered.com. 'Settlements of $100,000 or a million dollars are by no means unknown,' he said.
'Most schools are covered for physical injuries, say if your kid gets hurt out on the sports field, but there's little or no insurance for cases such as verbal harassment, where payouts are potentially huge and school boards are left out on a hook.'
But the system is fighting back. In New York this month a disgruntled former teacher who has brought 18 lawsuits against the city's school board since 1987, seeking millions in damages, was fined $3,000 and banned from further action. Peter Malley, 68, became known as Mr Litigious after being fired by a city high school for 'insubordination and incompetence'.