Farragut High parties get a lot of pub, eh?
Anybody else recall the one a few years back when some boys decided to go out and get a hooker -- and killed her, just for a laugh? I believe that one was in Loudon County, too.

As a family just booted from Farragut High School, we would like to know how big of problem this really is. If anyone knows of someone doing this, they need to contact Mike Reynolds the prinicpal at FHS. He is obligated to verify residency. Below is the link to the school policy on residence. Proof of residency is not an annual process.

Obviously this bugs me since I am affected, but why would any Knox County taxpayer want to pay to educate children from Loudon County. I understand that we also have some Anderson County children attending Knox County schools.

http://www.kcs.k12tn.net/policy/j/jbc.pdf

Curious -- what year was a few years back that the murder occured?

Not sure who the she is -- I am a Knox County resident. My reference to being booted meant, I was just rezoned to HVHS. So I think you were referring to me because of the way I wrote my post.

If you meant the families who go to Knox County schools who shouldn't, you raise an interesting point. Maybe there should be a fine associated to doing this. I have heard many parents say they plan to rent apartments or buy property in the zone to keep their kids going to FHS.

I don't support doing that. I have already sent a note to Mullins and my school board member asking them to change the policy to an annual acknowledgement of residence.

To answer the question: I believe both parents are lying. I don't believe the father "went to bed" while strangers were showing up at his home. While the mother's busy cooking breakfast for everyone, no apparent effort was made to turn away the so-called party crashers. No part of their story really rings true.

I tend to agree. Mrs. Butturini would have us believe she was June Cleaver(ever seen an empty kitchen at a party?) and I don't know about you folks but a function with that many guests there is no one going to sleep, unless Mr. Butturini has the worlds most powerful case of narcolepsy or an isolation tank.

To the larger point of Loudon County parents having kids in Knox Co schools, after reading that article I think the sentinel could have done a better job covering/explaining that. A co-worker that just read that article commented to me that it doesn't mention if the home in question was the couple's primary residence or a lake cabin. I think it's implied, but who knows?

I have had enough slumber parties (sans alcohol) to know that it is completely possible for parents to take turns sleeping. Dad could easily have gone to bed while his wife cooked and chatted in the kitchen. I always tell my teenagers that if they feel they must try alcohol, they should try it at home. I also tell them that they can call for a ride home if they or their driver have been drinking and there will be no consequences. I haven't had to put my money where my mouth is yet. I suspect that this story started out very similarly.

I did some checking and they do have a home in Knox Co. somewhere off George Williams Rd.

Ms. McCaughan,

Sans alcohol is the key to what you said. I can't buy for a minute they didn't know or it wasn't loud as all get out. Just my 2 cents.

At any rate, we'll see what happens in court. With that many kids and recently minted 18 year olds, someone will spill the beans to save their keister from an angry parent.

Someone always talks. Always.

I know this happens everywhere all the time. In a misguided attempt to be "good parents" these adults allow themselves to be brought into a really ugly scene. When arrested they have no defense save to say it's safer to be drinking at home. This kind of high tolerance is in fact criminal and for good reason; when teens comsume too much alcohol, fights often break out, automobile accidents occur, and sometimes rape.

Our culture of thinking that "guzzling til you puke" is fun is responsible for these parents' warped mentality. It represents a strong disbelief in the ability we all have to ewnjoy ourselves when we're not on some kind of intoxicant.

You have to feel sorry for the parents because they are so brainwashed by the culture we live in. They obviously think teenage drinking is not only okay, it is mandatory in order to have a memorable time. Still, they have to be held responsible. Their embarassment and shame will teach them a harsh lesson. Let's hope they learn it rather than blame the officers who broke up the party.

I'm not a big fan of policemen who act like Nazis, and too many of them do, but the anger the parents feel should be directed at themselves not the law.

Any parent who encourages teenage drinking, who pay to send their daughters or their sons off to Cancun, Ft. Lauderdale, or Aruba to spend days in the sun drinking until they are blind drunk, can't really pretend they never thought something bad could happen. They just never thought it would until it does. They just took a gamble.

Too often, in cases like this everyone loses.

We had our oldest son's senior party at our house and dealt with the drinking thing fairly easily. We told our son and his friends to spread the word that if we catch anyone drinking they would not be allowed to leave and that we would call their parents to come get them.

No problem and a great party. I refereed the mud wrestling.

The Knox County zone is for Bearden High School.

I did some checking and they do have a home in Knox Co. somewhere off George Williams Rd.

I may be wrong about this. What I found listed a Jack R. and Shirley, not a Jack and Katherine. I'll try to dig deeper later on.

Look, this is a bad deal all around, and some interesting questions have been raised.

But I'm not sure it's cool to be digging around property tax records and posting stuff about people's personal business on the internet. They aren't public figures, despite being on the front page of the paper.

If you want to solve the mystery, simply call the people up and ask them where they live and why their kid is going to Farragut.

If you aren't willing to do that, maybe you shouldn't be snooping around their records and posting them anonymously on the internet under anonymous names?

(Yeah, I know the info is available to the public on government websites. So let the public look it up if they are that interested. Or the media. Or if you want to play real journlist, post your real name and talk the people and report what you find out instead of speculating.)

I have a student at Farragut and she told me two days before this happened that 13 students had been arrested (at least 11 ON campus) for selling pot. She called me at lunch describing this in detail. I asked two other students and they swear that this is true and their stories were identical. What I wonder is why there is no news of this? How do they keep this stuff quiet?

There are arrests on most high school campuses several times a week (primarily for assaults), especially as the end of year approaches. They are charged as juveniles and the records are not public. If you want to compare schools like that, compare the suspension and expulsion data.

"There's an alternative high school in Knox County"

KAEC (Knoxville Adaptive Eduction Center) serves more than just high school. It just happens to be IN an old high school. Generally speaking, KAEC students are there for behavioral issues or because "we can't find a place for your child." (which should never be a reason for sending a child to KAEC)

Doug McCaughan
http://realityme.net/

Lord, I'd forgotten about the "Farragut kids kill prostitute as a prank" incident. Certainly did disappear from the media, though.

What was the outcome on that one?

There was a case in 2001 where a couple of kids picked up a prostitute and killed her. Her name was Sheila Gardner and the kids were William Phillips and Travis Hancock. They beat her up and then drowned her in Ft. Loudon Lake.

I'm not sure if it's the same case y'all are talking about because they pleaded guilty in 2003. Phillips got 28 years and Hancock got 33 years.

And talk to West, Bearden and Farragut parents about how they get the kids who are booted for problems from private schools and then get enrolled in their public schools.

There are just as many zero tolerance students from Knox County who get sent to private schools as there are private school students transferring to public school. Laurel (in today's paper, btw) and Doris Walker are both private schools.

of bbeanster not getting it right.

bbeanster said: "that the boys copped some kind of plea bargain and got off with a light spanking."

CL reports the facts: "they pleaded guilty in 2003. Phillips got 28 years and Hancock got 33 years."

As Pamela Treacy said a few weeks ago. "you should start screening the bean. she passes to much gas!!"

be your call. It is your forum.

"There's an alternative high school in Knox County"

KAEC (Knoxville Adaptive Eduction Center) serves more than just high school. It just happens to be IN an old high school. Generally speaking, KAEC students are there for behavioral issues or because "we can't find a place for your child." (which should never be a reason for sending a child to KAEC)

I think the writer was referring to the Richard Yoakley School at the site of the old Alice Bell Elementary School on Washington Pike.

...Pamela Treacy said a few weeks ago. "you should start screening the bean. she passes to much gas!!"

Now where have I seen that kind of punctuation before? Besides from the guy who has devoted his life to public education?

P.S.
That was really good work, CL. My hat's off to ya!

Found this:

https://www.tennesseeanytime.org/foil/results.jsp

He's still in the slammer.

"I, too, stand corrected -- although 28/33 years will probably amount to less than half that in time served, which doesn't seem too stiff a sentence considering that they commited a cold-blooded, premeditated murder?"

Not to put too fine a point on it, but according to what I read about the sentencing, they have to serve at least 85 percent of those sentences under their guilty pleas to second-degree murder and kidnapping.

Why the govt didn't go for first-degree and drop the hammer on them is not immediately clear to me.

Watcher -- could you provide more information or source of overcrowding Loudon County schools due to out of county residents? This is the first I have heard of the problem going in that direction.

Thanks.

Kids copping pleas. Bad news for the Butterinis.

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_5551279,00...

That was a drowning accident. Completely unrelated.