Posted on 05/06/2005 10:15:07 AM PDT by Responsibility1st
COLUMBUS, Ga. -- A high school student was suspended for 10 days for refusing to end a mobile phone call with his mother, a soldier serving in Iraq, school officials said. The 10-day suspension was issued because Kevin Francois was "defiant and disorderly" and was imposed in lieu of an arrest, Spencer High School assistant principal Alfred Parham said. The confrontation Wednesday began after the 17-year-old junior got a call at lunchtime from his mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, who left in January for a one-year tour with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion. Mobile phones are allowed on campus but may not be used during school hours. When a teacher told him to hang up, he refused. He said he told the teacher, "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom." Parham said the teen's suspension was based on his reaction to the teacher's request. He said the teen used profanity when taken to the office. "Kevin got defiant and disorderly," Parham said. "When a kid becomes out of control like that they can either be arrested or suspended for 10 days. Now being that his mother is in Iraq, we're not trying to cause her any undue hardship; he was suspended for 10 days."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
You do realize that mom may not get the chance to call until May 25 or something.
Forcing him off the phone was inexcusable.
YA know what beeler. If I were you I would not take my sentiments to the local watering hole. I am absolutely positive that you would find yourself on the losing side of a bar fight. Little corporal punishment ya know!!! Just a friendly little bit of advice from a fellow freeper.
I am astounded by the people here who belive that a child should surrender his very limited ability to talk to his mother to the whims of an authority who has no respect for his mother's being in a combat area.
She is a)serving her country b)in the military c)probably a conservative d) serving our commander-in-chief
Now, given all that, who believes that a member of our esteemed educational establishment will cater to his mother's wish to talk to her son?
Instead, they want to subject her calls to control measures of their own. Only an limp-wristed, spineless guppy would tolerate, or bow, to such tyranny. Well, as there are Rino's, there are Fino's (freepers in name only).
Some soldiers in that area need to pay a visit to the school and enlighten them of the respect that should be shown to our military.
I've been a lot of places, the Arabian Gulf included. And aboard ship there is even less opporunity to call home than there is ashore. We sometimes go months without even the chance to call, 3 and 4 weeks between calls is normal.
If your times are off and you can't reach them, you leave a message, tell them you love them, and let them know when you expect to call next.
There are a LOT of things that are difficult about deploying, but they do not constitute grounds, IMLTHO, for breaking rules that are in place for good reason. I believe the 'no cell phones during school hours' rules are good rules, and therefore would not endeavor to ask them to be broken or bent because I am in some way 'special'.
I'm not sympathetic to this case and do not consider justifying poor behavior on the part of this boy as supporting the troops in any way.
Good afternoon.
You did mean to add a sarcasm tag, didn't you?
Michael Frazier
________________________________________________________________
Well I wish I had left off the post about his father. The Newsday article didn't mention that he was dead. I must say I am amazed at the posters who agreed that the kid - and no doubt he acted badly - acted appropriately under the circumstances.
I just can't believe there are Freepers ready to kick butt on the teacher and vice-principals. No wonder incidents like Columbine and Red Lake make the news. Kids are learning from the parents on how to behave.
I am not advocating a hitler-like zero tolerance policy, but schools have to deal daily with abusive out of control kids who learned this disrespect from their parents.
DITTO
punishment should fit the crime.
teachers and administrators on this kind of power trip should be SENT immediately to a 'hot fire zone' area of Iraq or Afghanistan for an 18 month deployment and allowed a single ten minute call to one relative a month... period.
there is no excuse for the authoritarian no tolerance crap going on in public screwells these days.
it's time to end it, not mend it.
That's one side of the story......
Tell him that is not good enough.
Dr. John A. Phillips, Jr.
706-649-0685
jphillips@mcsdga.net
I already did.
you go girl...
Thanks, I am working on it!
Because the of the school's actions, he likely won't hear from mom for another month.
He had a right to be angry. There are times when anger and outrage are justified.
Thank goodness you don't have kids yet.
I know I'll regret this....but;
How is my awareness of the public school system related to my statement about the content of the article?
Nevermind...It's more fun to just fire off hot posts, right?
The Superintendent should be fired and then prosecuted for stupidity.
Your an embaressment to FR. That mother is fighting so you can sit your fat butt on a computer judging her from the safety of your home.
How about we ask why YOU aren't in Iraq fighting?
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