Reply #124: Does the school expel students for the second tardy offense?

[Moosepoop]

Given that the article doesn't give much detail, I'm just going on what info is provided.

First, yes there is a Code of Conduct (thanks for the link, Proud2Blib) which does state that any student engaging in any of the listed behavior is subject to "suspension, expulsion, emergency removal or permanent exclusion from curricular or extracurricular activities". OK, fine so far.

Second, yes the Code of Conduct does specify Type of Conduct #123 as: "Engaging in sexual acts, displaying excessive affection, inappropriate touching or other inappropriate behavior".
This language was used in the letter sent to the mother, with the phrase "using obscene gestures" in place of "other inappropriate behavior". Still OK as far as the outlining of rules go.

The Code of Conduct also covers every conceivable offense from tardiness (#135) to dress code violations (#136) to guns, other weapons and drugs (#s 107 - 164).

Now, all of these rules have a reason for being adopted, and there must be consequences when they are not followed. That's common sense.

But the problem I have is that the rules are not classified as to severity, there is no differentiation between, say, tardiness and selling crack in the hallways. The only qualifier is that gun offenses will automatically result in a one-year expulsion, but other than that, the rules are seemingly equal to one another in terms of severity.

The Code of Conduct states that "The written notice of intent to suspend shall be given to the student at an informal hearing. The notice of intent to expel shall be sent to the student and the parents and the students and parents will be provided an opportunity for an informal hearing prior to a decision to expel.", which indicates along with the article that this kid is facing expulsion, which is for a much longer time than a simple suspension of a few days. Apparently, he was already suspended once, but still... EXPULSION??? For touching another student's bottom? By the article, it appears that this happened exactly twice. What was the extent of the touching? Did he poke the outside of her pants with a pencil eraser? Did he put his hand down her undies and cop a feel of her skin? The level and manner of touching would make all the difference, but it would seem to me that if he had done something really out there, it would also have violated the school's sexual harrassment policy (which is listed as #127 but not spelled out). Instead, two instances of a six-year-old touching another child's backside are labeled "Engaging in sexual acts, displaying excessive affection, inappropriate touching and using obscene gestures". It reads like a whole litany of offenses, when it may well be that the laundry list is just many different ways of labeling the same action, and pluralized because it happened twice.

Why is this child facing explusion, the highest form of discipline there is in a school setting, for something that apparently didn't rate as sexual harrassment?? If there was a sexual aspect to it, why wasn't that policy invoked???

Again, I have to wonder... does the school permanently expel every student after the second offense of being tardy, or the second offense of showing disrespect to a teacher or other student (#s 102 & 103)? What is the "progession of discipline" for various offenses, or is there any? Is the decision to hand out detention, suspension, or expulsion completely arbitrary? Shouldn't there be some sort of established protocol based on the severity of a given transgression?

So far, I think the whole thing has been overblown by the school.