Girl Suspended for Helping Friend

[dillywho]

What do you think about the girl (honor student) in Massachusetts that was suspended and demoted as captain of the volleyball squad when she went to a party to pick up her friend that called her for a ride because she felt that she was too drunk to drive? The cops came shortly after she arrived and arrested several of the teens for underage drinking. The policeman vouched for the girl that had not been drinking saying that she was totally sober and only there to get her friend. The school said that she had violated its "zero tolerance policy" by being somewhere where alcohol was being served.

Personally, I think the school has zero common sense.:cus:

[borjo]

What's wrong with people anyway! This depresses me.

[justjim]

You can't fix stupid. The girls parents should challenge this situation---first the school board and second the courts. However, it could be a bit expensive. There should always be exceptions to policy for such circumstances.

[DonH57]

I only think of what would have happened had she not picked up her friend. Totally unacceptable.

[Indydealmaker]

What do you think about the girl (honor student) in Massachusetts that was suspended and demoted as captain of the volleyball squad when she went to a party to pick up her friend that called her for a ride because she felt that she was too drunk to drive? The cops came shortly after she arrived and arrested several of the teens for underage drinking. The policeman vouched for the girl that had not been drinking saying that she was totally sober and only there to get her friend. The school said that she had violated its "zero tolerance policy" by being somewhere where alcohol was being served.

Personally, I think the school has zero common sense.:cus:

Critical Thinking is a Lost Art.

[blueash]

The problem is the zero tolerance rule. It is not new that such policies have led to unintended results. If the rule is you must not be where alcohol is served, period, she was there. The rule does not say, unless you are a designated driver or picking up a friend. Same zero tolerance rules that result in suspensions and mandatory drug testing and drug school for kids caught with a couple of Motrins for their periods. Schools don't differentiate Motrin from heroin. Apparently if you make the policy less rigorous then there are concerns about selective enforcement. In the big picture of life no longer being the captain of the volleyball team is not going to hurt her at all. In fact she has a great college entrance essay that is writing itself as we debate her situation.

[Mikeod]

Zero tolerance rules eliminate critical thinking for administrators and saves them time. They don't have to differentiate or evaluate. It's a one size fits all deal. And it doesn't have the effect desired. Instead of concentrating on the actions deemed in violation, the attention is turned to the lack of wisdom shown by the system which undermines confidence in the system. In this case, they are telling the student she should have ignored her friend's plea instead of trying to get her out of a bad situation. Wrong message.

[golf2140]

Schools are out of control being P.C. Suspend a third grader for point his finger as a gun while playing with a friend. This country is going nuts.

[gustavo]

You can't fix stupid. The girls parents should challenge this situation---first the school board and second the courts. However, it could be a bit expensive. There should always be exceptions to policy for such circumstances.

Then it wouldn't be called "zero" tolerance.

[dewilson58]

She was at the party for 20 minutes.........Hmmmmmmmm. Good excuse, but not factual. "But officer, I didn't enjoy being there, I was there for a friend." REALLY?????

[dillywho]

She was at the party for 20 minutes.........Hmmmmmmmm. Good excuse, but not factual. "But officer, I didn't enjoy being there, I was there for a friend." REALLY?????

The officer formally vouched for the girl's sobriety and that she had not had a drink.

[DonH57]

She was at the party for 20 minutes.........Hmmmmmmmm. Good excuse, but not factual. "But officer, I didn't enjoy being there, I was there for a friend." REALLY?????

Twenty minutes may be a true possibilty. Ever had to extract a drunk from a party? Sometimes not so easy.

[dillywho]

The problem is the zero tolerance rule. It is not new that such policies have led to unintended results. If the rule is you must not be where alcohol is served, period, she was there. The rule does not say, unless you are a designated driver or picking up a friend. Same zero tolerance rules that result in suspensions and mandatory drug testing and drug school for kids caught with a couple of Motrins for their periods. Schools don't differentiate Motrin from heroin. Apparently if you make the policy less rigorous then there are concerns about selective enforcement. In the big picture of life no longer being the captain of the volleyball team is not going to hurt her at all. In fact she has a great college entrance essay that is writing itself as we debate her situation.

So let me get this straight. If this girl had been at her friend's house and her friend's parents had company over for cards and were serving alcoholic drinks, both girls could be punished under this rule because they were in a "zero tolerance" zone?

You're right....in the big picture of life no longer being the captain of the volleyball team is not a big deal. However, lack of principles is, and to me, that is what the school policy enforcers have. They just need to admit that they went overboard and look at that "big picture"; then, get busy a rewrite the ridiculous policy.

"Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk"

[ilovetv]

Because of the school boards and administrators who cannot think or will not think...I'm really glad we are DONE with this B.S. Our kids could see right thru this kind of stupidity, and the LAZINESS of not taking into account the individual circumstances.

Parents have to be their own kids' first and best teachers, regardless of how good their schools might be.

"I've never let my schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain

[buggyone]

As for the girl who called her friend to pick her up - why didn't she call her parents instead of having her honor roll friend come to the party and then possibly try to sneak her home without Mom or Dad knowing? Well, the honor roll friend was abetting the drunk girl, wasn't she - therefore, she deserved some punishment, too.

We all know there is more to this story than the snippet that was on the news.

Zero tolerance rules seldom work. They have to be tempered with common sense and practical judgement.

[jnieman]

My high school son was put on athletic probation for a similar incident many years ago. I don't think this is a new rule. He wasn't even caught at a party where alcohol was served. The school counselor asked him a week later if he was there and he didn't lie and they put him on athletic probation. I think even being there was against the rules. He knew he shouldn't have been there just as this teen probably new the same, but they didn't want to have to wake up the parents and possibly get into trouble.

[TheVillageChicken]

So let me get this straight. If this girl had been at her friend's house and her friend's parents had company over for cards and were serving alcoholic drinks, both girls could be punished under this rule because they were in a "zero tolerance" zone?
"Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk"



I don't think the policy prohibits the teens from being where alcohol is served, but rather prohibits them from being where alcohol is served to minors..you know, like at communion.

[graciegirl]

I don't think the policy prohibits the teens from being where alcohol is served, but rather prohibits them from being where alcohol is served to minors..you know, like at communion.

I know who you are chicken.

That was cocky. and not nice.

[TheVillageChicken]

I know who you are chicken.

That was cocky. and not nice.

I reject your reality and substitute my own.

[bdabob]

Rules are there to base your decisions on. Clearly the school should have reviewed the events and the evidence and blessed the girl for doing the right thing.

[bimmertl]

Massachusetts Teenager Disciplined For Serving As Designated Driver For Drunken Classmate | JONATHAN TURLEY (http://jonathanturley.org/2013/10/16/massachusetts-teenager-disciplined-for-serving-as-designated-driver-for-drunken-classmate/)

[TrudyM]

She was at the party for 20 minutes.........Hmmmmmmmm. Good excuse, but not factual. "But officer, I didn't enjoy being there, I was there for a friend." REALLY?????

The report online says she arrived at the same time as the police where do you get that she was there for 20 min what am I missing.

The schools rule is prohibits “student-athletes from possessing alcohol, in addition to prohibiting its use, consumption, or distribution" I would guess it was the not allowing consumption rule that got her but I don't know how she can prohibit consumption when she was not there. My local High School has established a sober ride group that any teen can call to get a ride if they are drunk, just the opposite of this schools rules. Since the group was established the drunk driving by teen numbers have dropped considerably.

[Houselover]

When our son was in high school where he participated in sports, we had an agreement that if he were at a party and alcohol was being consumed, if he or one of his friends who had driven to the party was considered not able to drive, he would call us and we would drive them home. We were called a few times in the wee hours to come get them so we didn't have to deal with the mindless zero tolerance policy.. Maybe if more parents got involved as we did, there would be no need for the zero policy..

[Suzi]

I am stunned by this whole thing. First, how can a school dictate what goes on off campus to any student. That was the job of law enforcement. When did it become the job of schools to be "police officers"? The same holds true for the youngster expelled for shooting a pellet gun in his OWN yard. The child being expelled for forming the sign of a gun from his fingers? Really? I heard a school somewhere is OUTLAWING the game "tag" because some children get injuries. What, like skinned elbows and knees?
If I had young kids, I'm afraid I might pull them out of school and homeschool them. I refuse to let the school do my job (and apparently the job of the police) to dictate the terms of my childs upbringing. I know, I know that some parents are defaulting on their responsibility to parent, however, this amount of power to the schools without apparent oversight is unfathomable.