So Sad...Again

I ran across this news story on someone else's blog and just had to bring it up here.
Teacher has students vote on whether 5 year old can stay in class
"After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher said they were going to take a vote, Barton said. By a 14 to 2 margin, the class voted him out of the class."

This just astounds me. Even worse, the article says the school decided the incident didn't meet the criteria for "emotional abuse". If that isn't emotional abuse, then what exactly is?? All of the 5 year olds I've ever known LOVED their kindergarten teacher- how could a teacher turn on a kid like that? Honestly, that teacher should be fired and lose her teaching license. I can't fathom anyone thinking that singling a kid out like that could possibly be ok, even in a moment of extreme frustration.
If that isn't disturbing enough, go a little further and read the comments that people have left. I was shocked by the number of responders who think that the teacher was in the right, and that kids who are more high-needs don't "deserve" to be in classrooms with "better" kids. Because that's what it boils down to: kids who don't have IEP's are "better", and shouldn't have to deal with "inferior" kids (who of course are ALWAYS the ones making trouble) and be held back in the pursuit of their high quality education. Funny, I thought learning to accept people who are different was part of character education. Especially in kindergarten! Kids have to be taught how to treat people, how to be accepting of differences. The kids in this classroom were taught the opposite, and by a person that they trusted. And if the comments by readers are any indication, the lessons may not be un-taught at home either.
Here is another blog with more information, including specific laws that the teacher violated, and e-mail addresses (with a format letter) for people to write and complain.