Girl's arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance

[Phobia]

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.

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??

My point is that kids will be kids and make stupid choices. All kids do it for the most part. There are other means of getting your point across that she messed up than going to this extreme. Punish her, extra homework, stay after school clean the desks, etc.

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

[Phobia]

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

I personally don't necessarily agree with the idea of "punishment should fit the crime." Petty crimes are still crimes, and sometimes petty punishment just isn't enough to make an example out of someone. Especially if she had been in trouble for this before.

Yea I agree with this assessment. But I think some of you are also comparing a criminal to a 12 year old. This is a little girl. Not a petty 30 year old crock robbing some old women for a pack of pills.

[z Revis]

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

I think it's ridiculous that any of you agree with the punishment, or are even attempting to argue/defend it. This is a 12 year old girl that wrote "I love you" on a desk with a marker. The next thing you know she's being put in handcuffs in front of her entire class. Are you kidding me? That's a joke. I would be irate if I were the parents of that girl.

[GAMEC0CK2002]

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

The only way this is even remotely acceptable is if every kid knew that "jail time" was the punishment. You'd have to assume that it was a widespread problem to go to this extreme. But I can tell you, once you put something in place you have to follow it out or kids will walk right over you.

If you say you're gonna punish them in "X" way if they do something, you better do it or everyone in that class (school in this case) thinks it's a joke. And then they look "cool" for going ahead and doing it (knowing the consequences are just words).

[slickdtc]

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

You know, arresting a student for writing something on their desk would never cross my mind as a punishment. I can't believe they actually did.

Thinking about it more though, I bet in the school's code of conduct, vandalism (which this technically was) could result in arrest. The problem here is, this isn't someone out there maliciously defacing school property... this is a 12 year old writing something on a desk in school. You have to use some discretion here. Come on...

[Jdurg]

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

You know, arresting a student for writing something on their desk would never cross my mind as a punishment. I can't believe they actually did.

Thinking about it more though, I bet in the school's code of conduct, vandalism (which this technically was) could result in arrest. The problem here is, this isn't someone out there maliciously defacing school property... this is a 12 year old writing something on a desk in school. You have to use some discretion here. Come on...

True. And I wouldn't call writing on a desk with a marker that could be cleaned up with a quick spritz of acetone and a papertowel "vandalism". To me, vandalism means permanently damaging property. Things such as spray paint, carving words, breaking things, etc.

[Whitesox]

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

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.

[BatsareBugs]

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

Well, well. Doodling on a desk is a crime elsewhere? Gosh, I'd be a serial criminal then given my track record if I lived there.

[z Revis]

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

True. And I wouldn't call writing on a desk with a marker that could be cleaned up with a quick spritz of acetone and a papertowel "vandalism". To me, vandalism means permanently damaging property. Things such as spray paint, carving words, breaking things, etc.

Agreed. I wouldn't categorize that as vandalism. Takes 10 seconds to clean it off. And depending on what kind of desk it is, you could even wipe it off with your finger(unless it's a permanent marker, but considering she's 12 and sitting in a classroom, it was likely a regular crayola coloring marker).

[sb24]

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

Im wondering if she cussed out the principal in the office or something. For him to get mad enough to want to get the cops involved she must have gotten under his skin really good and taunted him. Maybe its one of those times when the principal and parents know each other well from a family of misfit kids. Maybe the principal knew the parents would get mad at him for even trying to suspend the girl for it. Maybe the guy is just an jackass. Im leaning more toward a personal dislike for the girl rather than school policy. I cant figure he will have a job to much longer.

[Gotmadskillzson]

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

Say what you want.......***les are rules. And just because it can be cleaned off in a matter of seconds, it is still vandalism. When I was in high school over a decade ago, bringing a beeper to school was an arrestable offense. Many kids got arrested over it too.

But did it make the news ?????? NO

What was I told ? You know the rules, so follow them.

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.

[z Revis]

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

I still would've felt the same way regardless of who it was. To get arrested for that is outrageous.

[Gotmadskillzson]

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

No to get arrested for a BEEPER is outrageus.

[daflyboys]

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

Say what you want.......***les are rules. And just because it can be cleaned off in a matter of seconds, it is still vandalism.

Ya, but let's tolerate the kids with pierced skulls, black eye liner on ... everything..... and pants down to the ankles because they're "expressing" themselves.


please.

[z Revis]

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

No to get arrested for a BEEPER is outrageus.

Didn't say that wasn't outrageous.