"This is not a hopeless case"

The headline for today is a qoute from a didactic seminar yesterday. Out of context it may not seem peculiar.

But when you state something like this you will expect that there are hopeless cases, would you not? I reacted with a tag-question - Are there any hopeless cases?

The one who was responsible for the statement corrected herself. I think that it was just a sloppy comment she said - but I do not think that it is the right place to make them.

A human should never be called a hopeless case - no matter what context. I feel a special responsibility towards my pupils - they are in the beginning of their education. To chop of their wings with sloppy comments and unfair judgements would not help them to feel competent.