Teacher Pulled Knife on Students, Demanded They Drive Him to Fast-Food Restauran

A Southern California high school teacher is facing kidnapping charges after pulling a knife on a trio of students and demanding they drive him to a fast-food restaurant while he was apparently intoxicated, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.

The students were driving at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday when they stopped to greet one of their teachers, 34-year-old John Edward Maust, whom they saw standing near Ganesha Avenue and East Mariposa Street in Altadena, sheriff's officials said in a news release.

Maust asked for a ride, and the 17-year-olds agreed. But during the trip, the driver became worried by their conversation with the teacher and pulled the car over, officials said.

Good Lord, what is next?
Those kids were so nice in pulling over to greet one of their teachers.
Then those students were very kind and considerate in giving him a ride.
That was the thanks they got for being thoughtful and kind.

That crazy teacher will now serve prison time.
He will have extra time tacked on for committing a crime against a child or minor.
That story angers everybody
Wow! >

welcome to the forum allison.  make a big splash here and stick around a long long time

Sighs, I don't know where to start. The sadness in me comes from the fact I have become numb to these type of stories. I read the news everyday. From local to international and I have come to an unfortunate point where I am not fully shock by what is happening in the world. I am a former teacher and I use to work in a school district where they lost their accreditation. Needless to say the atmosphere was like living in a nightmare where the kids ran the school and the adults were scare.

Teachers are under a lot of stress. I get that with me being one of them. However, I can't speak for this teacher and their situation. Bottom line, there is no justification in the world for the teacher do what he did. It's disgusting and deplorable that an adult who pull a knife on kids and pretty much held them hostage until they did what he wanted them to do. He deserves whatever punishment he has coming his way. No child should have to endure such an encounter with a teacher of all people. 

Hello Friend,

I also worked for a huge public school system. We were never threatened with the loss of accreditation because our teacher's union was one the strongest in the country.
Yet, I have buddies who took their pension then worked for religious schools. Those were the schools that often loose their accreditation.
It's a sad state of affairs when any school looses its standing. That affects the children, parents, and teachers. I t also affects the community. Remember that our school buildings serve as community centers in our neighborhoods.
Please, hang in there!
By the way, have you ever thought of teaching online. That way we wouldn't have to physically be in contact with teenagers. Here are some websites: http://www.promise4all.com/teach/teach_signup.html; http://www.tutorcentral.net/Online_Tutor...rpage.asp; and http://www.tutapoint.com/info/tutor. I found all of these on WORKERSONBOARD.COM under the heading of Tutor.