[SaveTheChief]

I think that if we start telling teachers that they can't assign seats in the classroom and in the lunchroom, and expect the kids to sit in them like they are told... then we have lost the war.

I am against the lawsuit and believe it should be thrown out. Schools should be able to do what they need in order to establish discipline and keep children under control.

My comments were in regard to a policy which teaches children nothing about discipline, and allows lunchroom supervisors to become vegetables for the period. Children need to be given responsibility, including the responsibility of making choices and maintaining acceptable behavior. Assigning them a seat in the lunchroom is punishment for all.

Just for the sake of telling a story...

We had an incident when I was in high school. Some kids were damaging or stealing silverware from the cafeteria. The school decided to take the silverware away from everyone and replace it with very cheap plasticware. A few in the school organized a lunch strike, and less than twenty students ate a school lunch the day of the organized strike.

It didn't take long for the silverware to come back.

[brownsfan]

Assigning them a seat in the lunchroom is punishment for all.

That is the way in America now. They do it where I work. It is much too difficult and dangerous to single out an individual who is causing a problem. So, for the sake of applying the rules equally, if someone causes a problem, rules are changed to prevent anyone from causing the problem.
An example: We are largely salaried employees, with semi-flexible scheudles. One of our co workers was taking advantage of this and was routinely working 6 hour days. The management response? Have us all sign up for the hours we work, have them stated, and documented so everyone worked at least 40 hours. Everyone but one person was doing that already.
Until/unless we can recover the concept of individual responsibilties to go with individual rights, I'm afraid we are lost.