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 ...
We see this type of story all the time. Unfortunately in today's public school system there is not room for common sense, compromise or, as you put it, "exceptions." The game is "one-size-fits-all" conformity.
If the teacher in question had the least bit of common sense, he/she would have known that it is not easy for a serviceman to make such a call at a time convenient to the recipient.
Agreed, maybe detention if punishment is warranted, but I would cut hims some slack. In respect to his mother.
"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."
My thoughts exactly.
May she come face to face with someone with an equally cold heart.
Seems to me a military mother would NEVER allow her child to use profanity and be disrespectful of teachers.
My policy is to use capital punishment to defend myself from senseless acts of violent thuggery, such as those you suggest I should watch out for. So I don't really see this as an issue. Plus, I'm not stupid enough to hang out at bars argue with a bunch of drunk strangers. However, such inanities don't really apply to FR, do they?
My wife would take her to the ladies room and leave her there.
This issue has triggered multiple reposes, depending upon your life experiences.
If you are a teacher, or have a child that does not respect authority, then what this kid did was wrong.
If you have served in the military and understand what it is like to be stationed in remote regions of the world, then you have a different perspective.
So far, I see that the school is backing down. Let us compromise with this proposal:
1) 1 day suspension for the student for failure to show proper respect to his teachers.
2) Both the school teacher and principle should arrange a private telephone call with his mother in Iraq. The three of them can discuss their own feelings about this issue in private.
I am sure that the military can arrange the details to make this happen.
Agreed, however you misconstrue my reference, I did not purport special privileges for military parents, I affirmed the authority of ANY parent over their children and that authority superceeds the (government) school.
I would note that the problems with cellphones and pagers in school grew out of the misuse of these items by students, and occasionally by parents, but the final authority is the parent, and if the parent's use doesn't rise to the level of abuse the child is protected, even then the responsibility is the parent's to face the consequences, not the child.
not good enough.
Allow him to make-up anything missed during those days.
Expunge the record.
A detention would have been fine with me, but suspension is way over the line.
You seem to be suffering from a delusion in which you think military personnel can disregard lawful orders.
The child's mother, being a member of the Army, received orders to Iraq.
And you think that she shouldn't have gone.
"My wife would take her to the ladies room and leave her there."
I just simply love it.
I am in college studying to be a teacher, and I think the school went way too far.
I would have given the kid a detention and that would have ended it. He did disobey and caused a ruckus and should get something.
But, even one-day of suspension is too harsh IMO.
I would be sitting at the computer no matter what that woman was doing. The most important mission in her life is to raise the child God gave her. In that case, she truly is an "army of one". And she's AWOL.
What kind of "conservative" thinks it's OK for mothers to go off to war? Not women (which is wrong to begin with), but mothers? And the kid has already lost his Dad.
Mr. Kendall, who claims he works in the Adm. building says he gets to make up all of his work. I think right now they would be willing to spit shine the boys shoes.
Bikers wife. Very pretty and petite but can keep me wary.
I consider that as acceptable, if he is in school on Monday morning.
The second half, is to help the mother in Iraq....
Nuremberg says your wrong, but that's another thing you didn't need to know.
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