SOME PARENTS SHOULD NOT BE WITH THEIR CHILDREN

Joey was 4 years old, attending a Montessori pre-school across the street from his home. After (an extra-fun) water activity, Joey was soaking wet and required a changes of clothes.

In the process of changing his clothes, the teacher noticed numerous small, brown, circular-shaped spots all over his back. She first wondered if they were birth marks but it quickly became obvious that some spots were faded, some were fading and two were open soars.
"What happened to your back?", she asked. Joey answered, "Where?"

"Where?" she wondered - what does he mean "Where?". She didn't ask. She lightly put her finger on one of the two open soars that was located under his right wing-bone and said, "Here". Joey thought before he responded then looked at his teacher with total innocence and with an obvious intent to provide an honest answer. Reflectively he said, "I think I was bad for not stopping talking." Resonating in the teacher's mind were the words, "I think I was bad" - what does he mean "was bad" - how did he get the spots on his back - what does talking too much have to do with being bad - the questions were rolling through her brain.

The teacher reached for the First Aid Kit, put it on Joey's lap, retrieved a tube of Neosporin from the Kit, handed it to Joey and said, "Let's put some of this cream on your back to help it feel better." Joey opened the tube as the teacher extended her finger to him. He squirted way-to-much cream on her finger and loved the process of doing it. The teacher began to slowly and softly apply the cream on the many, brown markings. "Does this hurt?" the teacher asked.
"No." Joey answered.

"If Eddie (Joey's very best friend in pre-school) does a bad thing at home, what will happen to Eddie?", the teacher asked. "He has to play Ash-Tray." Joey responded. Again, the teacher was dumb founded - "Ash Tray" - what did that mean - what kind of a game is "Ash-Tray" - what does it have to do with the markings on his back. Then with total clarity, the teacher recognized the shapes on Joey's back. She understood the game "Ash-Tray". Do a bad thing and a cigarette is put-out on your back. Not possible but it is exactly what happened to Joey.

Joey's mother and father - somehow - believed it was OK to discipline their children by burning them with lit cigarettes. Never will we be able to understand this but this is exactly what they did to Joey and to his 6 year old sister.

The teacher called Social Services as she was required to do. A caseworker came to the school, examined Joey's back, talked to the teacher, made a report and Joey and his sister were removed from their home in order to protect them from their parents.

Ironically, watching the children being removed from their home was horrific. Both children desperately wanted to remain with their parents. They would rather endure the abuse than be without their parents; their life-lines since birth.

We must do our best to protect children. They cannot protect themselves.

Legal action was filed against the parents by the State of Colorado.


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