Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

[JBH3]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

So one incident of writing on a desk makes this kid a brat who must be humiliated to you. You don't think that is a little judgmental on your part to say the least. Doodling on a desk doesn't make this kid some deviant criminal that needs to be humiliated in that manner.

It is pretty simple, the principle didn't use common sense in this case. He could given the student a detention, made them clean all the desks, those are the kind of punishments that fit the crime. I honestly can't believe someone would be trying to argue otherwise.

CNN does a very good job of centering the cute 12 yr old Alexa around 'injustice'. They never confirm nor deny that this is an isolated incident of hers. They'd rather have you believe w/ no qualms that she's an angel. Regardless, if she never did it before or not the policy is zero tolerance.

So when/if a mild mannered 12 yr old girl does it or the worst student in the school ALL are treated the same. In the Marine Corps we use to call this guilty by association. The association here is that all 12 yr olds are treated the same regardless of circumstance, social standing, standings w/ teachers/staff, etc.

Did it suck in the USMC to be treated like that? Yup. Was it effective in lessesning incidents over the most stupid and pettiest of circumstances? Yes.

....and what do you know....CNN reports in the same article that a school in California using the same methods have seen a drastic change in student behavior for the better. Go figure.

Furthermore, my issue w/ most in this thread, just like CNN and the parents who cry injustice at the drop of a dime, is that they/you have NO direct contact w/ behavior in an educational setting, or any experience in running a school in 2010 and handing disciplinary measures; which have changed greatly even since I graduated high school in 1999.

Yet you feel it ok, that as a combined front w/ mass media, you can overpower the authority of the people who we've entrusted to educate our children if YOU feel it in your right to do so?

It may not make since to you because of various reasons, but you're not a prinicpal nor you nor CNN nor the parents of Alexa know what it is like to operate a school. There's a valid reason the school enacted the zero tolerance policy, and to have it only apply to one student and not the other (because she's presumably good - Alexa) is fair how?

Have you been following what I've said through this whole thread? I can't help but stress this again:

This whole issue, letting the girl get off, demeans the whole process of punishment. The lesson we are teaching kids here is: Break a rule, recieve punishment, cry injustice, and eventually get off.

In addition, I can't stress enough that there are just way too many parents now a days not willing to be accountable for their children or responisble for them.

I'd say 75% of the parents my wife contacts due to behavorial problems w/ students in her class, she winds up having the parents come at her like: "No, you're wrong, that's not my little Alexa, she'd never do that".

When in actuality Alexa at school amongst her peers and Alexa at home w/ family are two different Alexa's. However, more often than not the parent is unwilling to listen to the teacher's assessment either because they are: vain, stubborn, ignorant, lost, or just unwilling to admit that their kid has behavorial problems.

Completely agree blue. I think JB you are jumping to extreme measures for something petty. She will do worse things than just scribble on a desk. We all did/do. It is part of growing up, being a kid. She is going to sneak out the house, drink at a house party, maybe smoke a cig, etc. The point is those could technically be considered worse than scribbling on a desk and if you think she should be humiliated, hand cuffed, and brought to a jail just for scribbling on a desk. What would you choose to do to her for those such mistakes??

If it was my kid I would be PISSED!!!! Discipline the kid of course, she made her mistake so she should reap the negatives for it. But like others have said, do it in a manner than fits the crime.

Your kid sneaks out the house and goes to a house party and has some drinks at 16. Do you call the cops and have her locked up for under age drinking???? That would be a bit much, but most likely like the 99% of other parents out there. You would ground the kid and not allow them to have a social life for a little while. That gets to them pretty bad and is a reasonable punishment.

Underage drinking>Scribbling on desk is all I am saying

What part of zero tolerance are you all failing to understand? Please read the above post. It applies to yours as well.

Well, if the school clearly outlines the consequences of vandalism, and what constitutes vandalism, then I don't really see how she or her family can complain.

I would think that if the school is saying that vandalizing something leads to an arrest, they are having problems with it.

Agree. And who are we as media, parents, or just regular Joe Schmoes on a sportsgaming to site to think we know anything about running a school or disciplinary issues. Some people can't even run their own lives/do their own jobs, yet have no problem telling you how to run/do yours.

For some reason, people in the USA always want to feel sorry for an honor student who breaks the rules and gets punished. But let it been a bad kid or inner city kid and this would have never made it to the news at all.

That's exactly what I've illustrated in numerous posts here, and AGAIN in the 1st post in this posting. It's atrocious isn't it.

[MBFranchise]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

To me, it all depends on how this "zero tolerance" policy was instigated and implemented.

If it listed arrest as a possible punishment for vandalism (which this is, I cannot fathom how some people don't consider it vandalism), then the school is in the right. They laid out the punishment for someone who did what this girl did, and they followed their own procedure.

If the "zero tolerance" policy did NOT list arrest as a possible punishment, then this is clearly an overreaction.

Without that information, here is my hypothesis. The school had a problem with children defacing desks. Obviously, the current punishment (either detention or something like that) was not enough of a deterrant to solve the problem. So what is the school district to do? They upped the punishment. Seems logical to me.

Again, it all hinges on what was specifically in the "zero tolerance" policy.

Here is my main point: If the school district warned its students they could be arrested for committing vandalism on school property, the little girl, parents, community, society, et al., have no right to be upset when she was arrested for doing just that!

[Phobia]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

Sorry JB but I completely disagree with you. I have not even seen a single thing CNN has said about this girl. I really don't care if it was a honor student or a gangsta thug wanna be kid.

I don't agree for one second a kid should be put in handcuffs and brought to a jail because they scribbled on a desk. Zero tolerance or not. It is completely over board.

I don't see how anyone could justify this. I really don't.

My closing statement is this. Just because they say a "Zero Tolerance" is in effect does not mean it is right. Just because a upper power says something should be a certain way and this is the punishment for said action makes it right. That is on par with how the Nazi regime came to power. Was it correct to jai/concentration camps people because of a certain race???? My point is just because a punishment is enforced by the upper powers does not make it correct.

In the end people all have the ability for free thought. Being able to think for yourself. I don't see how anyone could justify that scribbling on a desk should mean lesson learned in cuffs and jail(temp). I think any rational person without the upper powers telling them what to think would look at this situation and agree the girl needed to be punished. I don't think ANYONE would send her to jail, your average parent would make her clean it off, stay in your room, no cell phone, etc.

You replace the school with a parent and this would be a completely different case. I don't see how anyone would agree with.

John Joe came home to find his daughter of 12 years old, wrote on the family kitchen table. John Joe then called the police. The police arrived put the 12 year old in cuffs and brought his daughter to jail.

I think most everyone would find that extreme and would question his parenting.

[JBH3]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

To me, it all depends on how this "zero tolerance" policy was instigated and implemented.

If it listed arrest as a possible punishment for vandalism (which this is, I cannot fathom how some people don't consider it vandalism), then the school is in the right. They laid out the punishment for someone who did what this girl did, and they followed their own procedure.

We don't know, but I'm guessing the marker was a sharpie, leaving a permanent green marking on the desk.

As for the "zero tolerance" policies enactment. You can't just push something like that through a school system, have law enforcement at the ready, and the general public of that district NOT be informed.

The issue here is whether people actually bothered to be involved in matters like this. Typically, they don't until it's too late i.e. 12 yr old Alexa. Having the knowledge of my wife's experiences of having taught at 3 seperate school systems in the Northern VA area, parents are just not involved in school matters now a days.

Here's one...I didn't know that Virginia State Traffic Laws had a law against allowing a motorist to drive a vehicle w/ snow on their roof. When going onto MCB Quantico for work last week the MP informed me that it's a ticketable offense. There was maybe a foot of snow on my roof, and it was frozen to it. Had a state trooper pulled me over could I tell him: "Officer I didn't know I could get a ticket for that, therefore you shouldn't write me a ticket" ????????

Sorry JB but I completely disagree with you. I have not even seen a single thing CNN has said about this girl. I really don't care if it was a honor student or a gangsta thug wanna be kid.

I don't agree for one second a kid should be put in handcuffs and brought to a jail because they scribbled on a desk. Zero tolerance or not. It is completely over board.

Oh.... well that's right you have the knowledge and experience in supervising children in a public school setting in 2010 (mind you).

...and again she was sent to the juvenile detention center, not an adult jail cell.

My closing statement is this. Just because they say a "Zero Tolerance" is in effect does not mean it is right. Just because a upper power says something should be a certain way and this is the punishment for said action makes it right. That is on par with how the Nazi regime came to power. Was it correct to jai/concentration camps people because of a certain race???? My point is just because a punishment is enforced by the upper powers does not make it correct.

Nazi regime? Really? What happened in the Holocaust was genocide. THIS is a 12 yr old girl who was handcuffed. For you to have used the Holocaust so loosely, as reasoning to fit your argument, really ticks me off. No one lost their life here. No one was tortured, starved, etc. This whole post of yours is rubbish and ridiculous. Absolutely ridonkulous.

I don't think ANYONE would send her to jail, your average parent would make her clean it off, stay in your room, no cell phone, etc. You replace the school with a parent and this would be a completely different case. I don't see how anyone would agree with.

John Joe came home to find his daughter of 12 years old, wrote on the family kitchen table. John Joe then called the police. The police arrived put the 12 year old in cuffs and brought his daughter to jail.

I think most everyone would find that extreme and would question his parenting.

You're missing the point COMPLETELY. A parent can do whatever they want to their child behind closed doors. Now a days a teacher can be looking for work if she yells at a kid and makes him/her cry i.e. "emotional distress" or some BS like that.

Public school systems all over America have seen their abilities to discipline children over the last 30 years diminish to next to nothing, and nothing OUR parents knew of during their Jr. high and highschool school days.

This is what it has come to now. With all the violence in schools, from Columbine to Chicago etc., to parents not taking care of home, to the federal govt. having to enact "No Child Left Behind" and forcing teachers and school officials to pick up the slack of lazy good for nothing parents...ALL THAT...leads to ZERO TOLERANCE.

Not to mention our teachers and school officials are overworked and underpaid and have to put up w/ a majority of rude and obnoxious children and parents who see school as their daycare for their kids.

You (others) need to realize these things before you start crying "injustice" !

Oh...and tell me why it is ok for the federal govt. to create policies for public schools (i.e. "No Child Left Behind"), when that should be handled by local/state govts., and it's not ok for a school, whose ability to discipline has been cut to next to nothing, to 'outsource' that help to law enforcement? Too many hands in the pot. Too many chiefs and not enough indians.

[MBFranchise]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

Just because a upper power says something should be a certain way and this is the punishment for said action makes it right. That is on par with how the Nazi regime came to power. Was it correct to jai/concentration camps people because of a certain race???? My point is just because a punishment is enforced by the upper powers does not make it correct.

So why did the parents not complain when the zero tolerance policy was implemented? It appears to only be in the wrong when it affects their daughter. How does that make sense?

And I too think the oversensationalism comparing this to Nazi Germany is a tad overdone.

If the thought of detention and/or letter writing is not enough of a deterrant to stop this type of behavior, what is the school district supposed to do?

I don't have much experience with school boards and all that, but I would think this new zero tolerance would have been discussed in several school board meetings. THAT would have been the time and place to voice concerns over it, not after it had been approved and went into effect.

[stewaat]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

First off you guys are taking the whole "arresting" part way too serious. It's not like she was processed and thrown into a jail cell. She was made an example of, that's all. Her guardian was called and had to come pick her up. That's all haha, you guys are making way too much of this.

For those who say vandalism is permanent damage...are you serious? Intentionally defacing something is vandalism, no matter what the message. Spray painting an I love you on the side of the building is the same exact thing. The cleanup times are just different here and resources to clean them up.

I'm sure the school has very strict policies.

I've put 12 year old girls in handcuffs to make a point to them. You can't "arrest" them

[Phobia]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

Oh.... well that's right you have the knowledge and experience in supervising children in a public school setting in 2010 (mind you).

...and again she was sent to the juvenile detention center, not an adult jail cell.

Nazi regime? Really? What happened in the Holocaust was genocide. THIS is a 12 yr old girl who was handcuffed. For you to have used the Holocaust so loosely, as reasoning to fit your argument, really ticks me off. No one lost their life here. No one was tortured, starved, etc. This whole post of yours is rubbish and ridiculous. Absolutely ridonkulous.

First, how do you know I don't know what it takes to supervise a school in 2010? One of my best friends moms is a principle and would NEVER have a kid handcuffed and brought to jail for a scribble on a desk.(I know she was my principle and put up with worse with us)

Then two of our close couple friends are both teachers at the same school.

I understand how kids are. That is my whole point on why a 12 year old should NOT be handcuffed and humiliated in front of the entire school FOR A DOODLE!!!!!

Last, Why are you taking this so personal that someone does not agree with you. Getting ticketed off that I made a point that "Not all what upper powers say is correct". You took my point of me showing how a upper power can abuse their power with the Nazi regime and went all over board with torture, starvation, etc. I am not comparing the actions. I am comparing the situation that just because a RULE is in effect does not make it right.

I personally think you have a tough time hearing others points of view with out pushing your own on to them. I don't have to agree with your point of view. I think it is over board. But you have a tone of your point of view is the RIGHT WAY!!!

Not to mention our teachers and school officials are overworked and underpaid and have to put up w/ a majority of rude and obnoxious children and parents who see school as their daycare for their kids.

"You (others) need to realize these things before you start crying "injustice" !"

A teacher knows full ahead of time what it requires to be a teacher. If you can't handle kids and what comes with them. Then they should of choose a different career path. Plus school is basically a daycare, it is a learning center and the teachers are their to CARE for the kids because the PARENTS are at work.

Lastly, I realize completely what a teacher and principle goes through on a daily basis with children. I hear it all the time amoung our friends.

But just because kids are bad, rude, obnoxious, immature, etc does not make it right to treat them in a overboard way. Kids are kids and do stupid things. That is part of growing up and learning. Does not mean they should be treated like a criminal for something so simple.

Bottom line is I will NEVER see it your way. I just don't agree one bit. If you were the principle of my child, well you would be getting a major *** chewing.

[Phobia]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

First off you guys are taking the whole "arresting" part way too serious. It's not like she was processed and thrown into a jail cell. She was made an example of, that's all. Her guardian was called and had to come pick her up. That's all haha, you guys are making way too much of this.

For those who say vandalism is permanent damage...are you serious? Intentionally defacing something is vandalism, no matter what the message. Spray painting an I love you on the side of the building is the same exact thing. The cleanup times are just different here and resources to clean them up.

I'm sure the school has very strict policies.

I've put 12 year old girls in handcuffs to make a point to them. You can't "arrest" them

Yea I think we all realize that. I think some of us just view it is blown out of proportion for a young child that did something so mild.

[Phobia]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

So why did the parents not complain when the zero tolerance policy was implemented? It appears to only be in the wrong when it affects their daughter. How does that make sense?

And I too think the oversensationalism comparing this to Nazi Germany is a tad overdone.

If the thought of detention and/or letter writing is not enough of a deterrant to stop this type of behavior, what is the school district supposed to do?

I don't have much experience with school boards and all that, but I would think this new zero tolerance would have been discussed in several school board meetings. THAT would have been the time and place to voice concerns over it, not after it had been approved and went into effect.

Like I said in the quote you quoted me.

My point is just because a punishment is enforced by the upper powers does not make it correct.

[MBFranchise]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

Like I said in the quote you quoted me.

[/i]

Right, and I agree that just because something is a rule doesn't make it right.

My issue is that people should not be getting upset after the fact, when the school issues a punishment according to the "zero tolerance" policy that conceivably the students (and the parents) had knowledge of.

[CX1329]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

Being a Law student myself, no amount of arguing from the other side will convince me that this wasn't utterly ridiculous. Seriously, it's just off-the-charts, "WTF" ludicrous.

There are real crimes waiting to be dealt with. Police officers aren't there to help principals prevent 12 year old girls from doodling on desks, they are there to do real police work. That's what detentions and suspensions are for. If it doesn't work, then tough luck, expel the girl. Frankly, this is a mockery of the police system.

I'm a firm believer when it comes to teaching kids solid moral values, but this is not the way to do it. This is what you do if you want to traumatize and repress a kid for the rest of their life, as the only thing this is going to "teach" that child is to hate all authority when she grows up.

Moreover, a number of Law and Psychology scholars have agreed that the punishment must, indeed, fit the crime. In fact, I took a course on child psychology once, back when I was dabbling in education, and it was made explicit to me that in order for any punishment to be effective and convey the proper message, it must match the child's behavior. Punishment that crosses said boundary does very little good in the end, despite what the average person might believe.

Like I said before, what they should have done was have the child clean up after what she did, then give her detention or a suspension.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

I've seen worse......Like last fall this 8 year old boy was suspended for 1 week for having braids in his hair because of that schools zero tolerance policy.

Or like when I was in high school, kids getting arrested for bringing beepers to school.

Or how my niece was suspended for having a cell phone in her bookbag.

Zero tolerance is zero tolerance. Sure some prinicpals go to the extreme within their allowed powers, but hey, its no different then cops who go to the extreme for little things.

Like 2 days ago I seen a guy get arrested for jay walking. Something most cops will probably just give a warning or a citation for.

[Phobia]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

Right, and I agree that just because something is a rule doesn't make it right.

My issue is that people should not be getting upset after the fact, when the school issues a punishment according to the "zero tolerance" policy that conceivably the students (and the parents) had knowledge of.

Yea but no one really knows what went down. I know back in school, I heard about zero tolerance all the time. But it was never something we heard that this equals this or you do this, this happens. It was also something never sent out to parents in a letter or anything along those lines.

Basically I look at it like this.

I don't care if the school came out and said "If you draw on the desk you get to miss school for a good job" or "If you draw on the desk you go to jail". Both outcomes are overboard and from one extreme to the next.

People, parents, principles, etc need to use common sense when it comes to handling things. If she wrote on the desk 99.9% of people and parents would ground, detention, clean up duty, extra homework for this child. VERY few if any would have her hand cuffed and brought to a jail. Even if just for the scare factor. Because it is extreme.

[Phobia]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

Being a Law student myself, no amount of arguing from the other side will convince me that this wasn't utterly ridiculous. Seriously, it's just off-the-charts, "WTF" ludicrous.

There are real crimes waiting to be dealt with. Police officers aren't there to help principals prevent 12 year old girls from doodling on desks, they are there to do real police work. That's what detentions and suspensions are for. If it doesn't work, then tough luck, expel the girl. Frankly, this is a mockery of the police system.

I'm a firm believer when it comes to teaching kids solid moral values, but this is not the way to do it. This is what you do if you want to traumatize and repress a kid for the rest of their life, as the only thing this is going to "teach" that child is to hate all authority when she grows up.

Moreover, a number of Law and Psychology scholars have agreed that the punishment must, indeed, fit the crime. In fact, I took a course on child psychology once, back when I was dabbling in education, and it was made explicit to me that in order for any punishment to be effective and convey the proper message, it must match the child's behavior. Punishment that crosses said boundary does very little good in the end, despite what the average person might believe.

Like I said before, what they should have done was have the child clean up after what she did, then give her detention or a suspension.

Well said CX

[JBH3]

Re: Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

First, how do you know I don't know what it takes to supervise a school in 2010? One of my best friends moms is a principle and would NEVER have a kid handcuffed and brought to jail for a scribble on a desk.(I know she was my principle and put up with worse with us)

My mom has been a social services worker for 25+ years. I guess now, since I've been to my mom's work a dozen times, talked to her about social work things, that I am quailified to work in that field huh? Or make decisions or even dictate how I think things should be handled?

This is basically what you're stating.

I understand how kids are. That is my whole point on why a 12 year old should NOT be handcuffed and humiliated in front of the entire school FOR A DOODLE!!!!!

She shouldn't have wrote on the desk. You don't write on the desk, none of this happens. Hopefully she's learned a lesson, regardless of the prying of media and foolish hearts of others.

Last, Why are you taking this so personal that someone does not agree with you. Getting ticketed off that I made a point that "Not all what upper powers say is correct". You took my point of me showing how a upper power can abuse their power with the Nazi regime and went all over board with torture, starvation, etc. I am not comparing the actions. I am comparing the situation that just because a RULE is in effect does not make it right.

What ticked me off, in regards to the post where I stated I was ticked off, was your misguided use of the holocaust and trying to draw some broad comparison of injustice between that and the subject incident of this thread.

I personally think you have a tough time hearing others points of view with out pushing your own on to them. I don't have to agree with your point of view. I think it is over board. But you have a tone of your point of view is the RIGHT WAY!!!

Man...that's BS there are numerous posts of me agreeing w/ people, of me siding w/ people, be it the majority or the minority of an argument. It's just where ever my opinion and my favor lies w/ who I am.

I'm only abrasive towards you because I don't think you know what you're talking about, and I'm well within my right to think and communicate that.

A teacher knows full ahead of time what it requires to be a teacher. If you can't handle kids and what comes with them. Then they should of choose a different career path. Plus school is basically a daycare, it is a learning center and the teachers are their to CARE for the kids because the PARENTS are at work.

Teachers become teachers because they like to teach people. They shouldn't have to come into work worried about being sexually harrassed or verbally abused by students who they can't talk the same way back to in fear of losing their job and being out on the street basically. Not to mention physcially assualted as my wife has been when trying to break up a fight.

The power has shifted in schools to students and parents having more say in what goes on than one would imagine.

In addition, school IS NOT a daycare, and the teachers are supposed to EDUCATE not 'care'. I can't believe you think/posted that.

Lastly, I realize completely what a teacher and principle goes through on a daily basis with children. I hear it all the time amoung our friends.

But just because kids are bad, rude, obnoxious, immature, etc does not make it right to treat them in a overboard way. Kids are kids and do stupid things. That is part of growing up and learning. Does not mean they should be treated like a criminal for something so simple.

Bottom line is I will NEVER see it your way. I just don't agree one bit. If you were the principle of my child, well you would be getting a major *** chewing.

"Just because" huh. Man my wife had a male student leave her a note saying "Ms. H you have a nice a** and big breasts (censored), when you going to let me beat dat" ?

She had ideas of who the student was, tried to matchup handwriting, but couldn't quite get it down. These types of things have become normal over the last couple years for her and other teachers. They leave notes like this, say things like this, and do things that you or I would've never fathomed saying to our teacher when we were in jr high/highschool.

It's not so "just because". No one should have to put up w/ that level of behavior and THEN be powerless. So viola...we have zero tolerance policies that will send Alexa off in handcuffs for "doodling" or for calling her teacher a stupid bitch; which my wife has been called a half dozen times or more already this year.

First off you guys are taking the whole "arresting" part way too serious. It's not like she was processed and thrown into a jail cell. She was made an example of, that's all. Her guardian was called and had to come pick her up. That's all haha, you guys are making way too much of this.

For those who say vandalism is permanent damage...are you serious? Intentionally defacing something is vandalism, no matter what the message. Spray painting an I love you on the side of the building is the same exact thing. The cleanup times are just different here and resources to clean them up.

I'm sure the school has very strict policies.

I've put 12 year old girls in handcuffs to make a point to them. You can't "arrest" them

Thank you Stew.

Right, and I agree that just because something is a rule doesn't make it right.

My issue is that people should not be getting upset after the fact, when the school issues a punishment according to the "zero tolerance" policy that conceivably the students (and the parents) had knowledge of.

Very good point.

Being a Law student myself, no amount of arguing from the other side will convince me that this wasn't utterly ridiculous. Seriously, it's just off-the-charts, "WTF" ludicrous.

There are real crimes waiting to be dealt with. Police officers aren't there to help principals prevent 12 year old girls from doodling on desks, they are there to do real police work. That's what detentions and suspensions are for. If it doesn't work, then tough luck, expel the girl. Frankly, this is a mockery of the police system.

Obviously somebody didn't read the entire report. These are not necessarily beat cops, detectives, patrol cops etc. they are school security officials that in 1998 the NYPD put under their department. So work to clean up the streets and stop drug dealers, rapists, etc. is NOT being taken away here.

I suggest if you're in law school perhaps having a little more attention to detail or reading an entire article which you proceed to post a 5 paragraph order on.

Yea but no one really knows what went down. I know back in school, I heard about zero tolerance all the time. But it was never something we heard that this equals this or you do this, this happens. It was also something never sent out to parents in a letter or anything along those lines. Basically I look at it like this. I don't care if the school came out and said "If you draw on the desk you get to miss school for a good job" or "If you draw on the desk you go to jail". Both outcomes are overboard and from one extreme to the next.

When the state of Lousiana decides to change some laws, enact some new policies, etc. do they send out a newsletter to you? Email you? Call you? No.

Unless you're active w/ what your city council does you have no idea. Nonetheless, the information is there...it is public record. It is YOUR responsibility to INFORM yourself.

It's a courtesy for the school etc. to do so. Not a requirement.