“The Other Story” is a semiweekly student newspaper published by the community center.  It is funded by a private endowment and staffed by student volunteers which accounts for the less than professional newspaper story format.  It is distributed Tuesday and Friday mornings reporting on the school events of all the high schools in the city.  The following are excerpts from this paper about events at Rylander Prep.© YLeeCoyote

Tuesday, Feb. 1, 1955  STOP PRESS

There was a report of violence in Mr. Rinderknecht classroom at Rylander Prep yesterday.  He was taken to the City Hospital ER for treatment for a broken left index finger.  He said: “I was lecturing Kip again about his outrageous conduct in class when he grabbed my finger and violently forced it down so as to break it while causing great pain.  I will file battery charges so that the criminal will be sent to reform school and will sue as well.”

The police are investigating and holding Kip who is the student involved.  He is claiming self defense as Rinderknecht was “raging mad, violent and threatening.  That man is menace.  Last term he injured Donald jabbing him in his face.  He should be locked up!”

That’s all we could get before press time but rest assured we’ll investigate thoroughly for our Friday edition.

Friday, Feb. 4, 1955

The basic facts have not changed in the case between Mr. Rinderknecht and Kip since we first reported the incident.

Mr. Rinderknecht insists that he was admonishing the violent student Kip in the usual way when the hooligan broke his hand and a finger which are now in a cast.  “I’m sorry that I did not send him to the Principal immediately to be soundly paddled.”

Kip continues to claim self defense and that he was fearful that the raging monster was going to jab him in the eye.  Last term Donald was jabbed although fortunately just on his cheek rather than his eye.  It was serious enough gash that the school nurse had to send him to the emergency room for treatment.  Additionally, he was drenching my face with his disgusting spittle and sickening me with a foul stench from his heavy tobacco use.

Principal Rylander is appalled by the violence and agreed that Mr. Rinderknecht should have sent him to me for a good hard paddling and a suspension warning immediately.  “Kip got a dozen of my hardest pops on Wednesday in front of the assembled school.  I would have also expelled him but his family’s shyster got an injunction preventing me from doing so.  Rylander Prep is not a violent school as a student attacking a teacher is an extremely rare event.”

The school nurse Miss Rosse said she would testify that Mr. Rinderknecht jabbing finger has caused injuries that she had to treat and even one that she sent to the ER.  Once or twice a month she has had to deal with serious paddle bruises from either the Principal or the PT coach.  Just yesterday I had to treat Kip for paddle bruises.  She was not happy about either and had informed the Trustees about the excessive staff violence.

We have spoken with more than a score of other students both past and present who confirmed Kip’s report of Mr. Rinderknecht’s raging anger, his dangerous finger, his spraying spittle and nauseating stench from heavy tobacco use.  A couple of them liken him to the “Peanuts” character Pigpen.  We are delighted to have an actual photo of the raging lecture from Warren who is in the photo club.  He was returning from the lav when he heard Mr. Rinderknecht’s yelling even though the doors were closed.  He looked through the door of the classroom and took the picture.  Alas, it is a B&W photo so does not show the redness of rage and anger on the face of Mr. Rinderknecht.

The DA’s office praised our humble news gathering and noted that it was not a simple open and closed case any longer.  They will investigate in depth.

Tuesday, Feb. 8, 1955

The DA office reports that they are continuing their investigation but early reports support all of Kip’s claims.  These include the menacing approach of Mr. Rinderknecht and the extreme paddlings in Rylander Prep.

We have gotten reports from a couple of people that Mr. Rinderknecht’s contract was not renewed in Madison HS across the state line two years ago.  The former students from Madison say that there were similar issues but it was kept quiet so did not make the news.

Tuesday, Apr. 26, 1955

The case of the raging teacher Mr. Rinderknecht has come to a conclusion at least here in Rylander Prep.  He has been terminated both for inappropriate behavior and misstatements on his employment applications according to the Trustees.

Principal Rylander is moving on starting with a leave of absence.  The new principal will be Dr. Atkins with credentials in modern education methods and years of experience.  He plans to burn the school paddles to symbolize the end to violence.

Kip has made this statement after hearing the news.  “It was rough at first with the cops and then Principal Rylander turning my butt into a miniature, exceedingly painful Betelgeuse.  I’m immensely glad to see those two sadistic thugs gone so that the school can make its delayed entry into the Twentieth Century.”