It's Armageddon Time Again

Here's one version:
"...during school hours in a classroom with an experienced teacher present, two sixth graders completed the act of intercourse...at least ten students were witnesses. No disciplinary actions were taken against the teacher... All teachers were told to keep quiet."
Here's another:
"Two students were involved in inappropriate conduct in a lab class last semester. We have investigated the matter and taken appropriate action. The school corporation considers the matter closed and will have no further comment."
Guess which one is the official statement, and which is the account of a "disturbed resident". Okay, I'm not even a resident of Warren Township, Indiana and I'm feeling a little disturbed by this. Still, I know that the notion of this kind of thing happening without any disciplinary action is extremely unlikely. The problem is getting through the layers of reality to get to the crunchy center that has thirteen year-olds having sex anywhere, let alone in the back of their shop class. A certain first move by a compassionate school district would be to restrict males to shop classes and females to home economics.
Moving from the midwest to the far west, we find news of a Folsom, California mother who drove her son to a fight with another boy, then cheered him on as he struck his smaller opponent. Police say the mother shouted down another woman who tried to break up the fight across from Sutter Middle School on Monday. A student caught the scene on video. Thus far, we have no video of the Indiana incident, but keep your browser pointed at Youtube - it's only a matter of time.
I have a standard line I use when people ask me why I don't teach middle school. I say that the kids in elementary school can shoot pretty straight, but they have trouble reloading. This gives me time to look for cover. After this pair of stories, I think I'll just hang on to these clippings as reason enough.