This happen in Dover,NH.
A young man was shocked and almost die from this cause.
A stupid thing that this teacher was doing.


DOVER – Several students told investigators a teacher promised to give Kyle Dubois a Mountain Dew if he agreed to be shocked, an action that caused the teen's heart to stop and nearly killed him, according to a two-page police report issued this morning.

Teacher Thomas Kelley, a master electrician, denied the allegation, according to Police Chief Anthony F. Colarusso Jr.

Colarusso said no one will be charged criminally in the incident which happened on March 11 in the electrical technology classroom at the high school. He said that is because of witnesses' varying versions of what happened that day and the willing participation of those involved. In a best case scenario, he said, "we just didn't meet the standard for a criminal charge."

According to the report, Kelley told investigators he knew students were playing with the electrical test cord and that the conversation centered around Mountain Dew. His statements to investigators were not consistent with what several students reported, according to police.

Kelley remains on paid administrative leave from the school.

Dubois, 18, of Dover, in a March 19 interview, told police he does not have a full recollection of what happened but said he was a willing participant. He recalled at least one student telling him about receiving a Mountain Dew in exchange for taking an electrical shock but police said he did not recall whether or not the teacher was involved in that conversation.

Police said there is no evidence anyone, including the teacher, believed the shock would injure Dubois. Both the teacher and school thought the voltage was set at 90 volts, but testing after the incident determined the voltage was at the higher, standard household level of 115-125 volts, Colarusso said.

About 30 minutes was left in the class period that day when Dubois attached an alligator clamp from an electrical test cord to his chest. Another student put the second clamp on the opposite side of his chest and a third student plugged the cord into an electrical outlet.

Dubois was jolted for about three seconds with 115-125 volts of electricity, which stopped his heart and caused his collapse.

Just before the incident, the three students and others, in an activity not related to a class project, had formed a human chain and used the electrical cord to run electricity through their bodies, according to the police investigation.

Kelley was about eight feet from Dubois and the other students when Dubois was shocked and immediately went to help his student. Police said the response by Kelley, school staff and students was swift, effective and critical to his recovery.

When fire and rescue paramedics arrived, however, Dubois had no heartbeat and was not breathing.

They revived him using a defibrillator and established an airway in order to breathe for him. This and the care provided at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital clearly aided in Dubois' recovery, police said.

"He's recovering and they are hoping for a full recovery," Colarusso said. That, he said, is good news since for the first two days "we were being told he might not make it, that he could die."

Colarusso said the case was reviewed by police and Strafford County Attorney Thomas Velardi.

The investigation was conducted by the department's Special Investigations Unit and the school resource officer and included more than 20 interviews of students, faculty, medical personnel and experts in the electrical field. Several students were interviewed multiple times since initially they withheld information for fear of getting themselves or their teacher in trouble, police said.

YOUR COMMENTS

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Yet another reason carbonated beverages shouldn't be sold in schools! Where are the food police?
- Steve, Manchester

IF this allegation is true, how and why do people such as this wind up in a classroom?
- art, Hampstead

Fire that teacher NOW.
- Kevin, Merrimack

Hopefully they don't have firearms class....
- Joe, Concord

Zoom is absolutely correct. And let's not forget that not only does the boy mentioned in the incident have a claim, any other child in that class that was exposed to similar conduct has a justifiable claim against the Dover School District. Some lawyers are going to have a field day with this! Sounds like every kid in the school knew about this "animal house" environment except staff. Looks like the Dover High Administration has lost control of its Voc Ed department...can't wait for the Union flunkees to start defending this so called teacher!
- Justin F., Somersworth

Darwin award nomination?
- Bill, Deerfield

Any unemployed electricians-- update your resume because a job is opening up... what a total doorknob of a teacher and a disgrace to the profession.
- mark d., salem, nh

That was no taser. If the boy had died, there very well could have been grounds for a negligent homicide charge.

As it is the school and/or teacher could face civil recourse for negligence.

This was a lucky outcome, meaning a rapid apparent recovery from horseplay or just bad ideas, not stopped by the teacher if in fact not condoned. Luckier still in that 4 minutes without blood flow and oxygen is enough to result in brain damage.

The point being that such things, in a shop class or school environment must never be left to luck or stupidity. In the workplace, as well.

That may play out on an athletic field, where the chance of physical harm is inherent and a given risk. Not in a controled classroon setting.

Safety First went out the window, and I don't care if the teacher was a participant or just failed to properly instruct on the dangers, supervise or control, the responsibility - based on the facts indicated in this article - was not met.

That this wasn't a total tragedy does not diminish the seriousness.
- Zoom, NH

hmmm...I dunno...I thought teachers were supposed to help students learn, not teach them how to be stupid.

The school sure rewarded the teacher - gave him time off with pay.

I'm glad the student survived the stupidity and hope he'll have learned something from this.
- SAK, Walpole

And the teacher was doing WHAT when the students were doing these shenanigans?
- Bill, Wolfeboro

Hmm... sounds like a home made tazer. But those are not lethal...
- John, Weare

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