Recently, a school teacher was caught on videotape cornering, and then pinning and beating one of her students - all while at least one other teacher stood by and watched. (It appears that this teacher had come to this school after being fired by another school for being found with marijuana in his car - twice.)

And lest you think that this was a relative "bad apple" of this particular school, consider this: she had been voted the school's Teacher of the Year - twice.

Even more troubling, at least according to the teacher and her lawyer, is that this incident was made possible by an environment where the students were allowed to assault the teachers without consequence.

While I feel that this is a completely unacceptable excuse (and, frankly, after seeing the video, I don't know how you can possibly call it an excuse), these allegations do raise an important question: should the school bear responsibility, i.e., be held liable in negligent supervision, for this incident? If not, what incentive does the school have to change its ways?