Student Suspended for Call to Mom in Iraq

Newsday ^ | 05/06/05 | AP

[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."

[Nov3]

Thank you for your reply but this child needs to be KILLED. The new FReepers will have nothing to do with independent thought and insolence like this. He should be put in a religious re-education center where he can be properly "oriented".

Keep abreast of the changes "brother" or "sister" as may be the fact.

Seriously thanks for the well thought out answer. I agree.

[FreedomCalls]

Chances for phone calls are few and far between, and really expensive.

And considering the very real danger our soldiers are in every day, any conversation he has with her could very well end up being the last one ever. Don't lose sight of that.

[clee1]

I certainly agree that in most cases, and for most reasons, school officials should be obeyed. To do otherwise is asking for anarchy.

However, a high school student on his lunchbreak is not hurting a thing by talking to his mom in Iraq, and he should well know it.

The teacher should have known it as well, and probably did, but the drive to obey policy and proceedure, disregarding good common sense, is strong among the small minds of tyrants and sycophants.

We free people fight tyranny, whenever and wherever we find it. The "rule" of obeying authority would not have applied here, in my family. We are Americans; not Germans, or Russians.

[Sterco]

Who is the Governor of Georgia?

[fatnotlazy]

When a teacher told him to hang up, he refused...

***

Seems to me there was a teacher present.

[fatnotlazy]

The kid was on LUNCH HOUR, he didn't receive the call during class.

***

I think the article says cell phone use is prohibited during school hours. Do we know whether lunch hour is included as part of the school hours?

[Nov3]

Kids who aren't imbued with the quality of respect generally turn into foul-mouthed, pie-throwing leftists. Concentration Camp guards instead?

[blu]

Well, of course a mother in the middle of a war can take the time and trouble to coordinate a schedule WITH THE SCHOOL for when THE SCHOOL will allow her to talk to her son.

This was such a public relations blunder! I wonder if their web site has crashed yet?

[luckystarmom]

Lunch time is fun at my kid's school. If the weather is nice, they can eat inside or outside. Parents (or grandparents) are encouraged to join their kids. The kids all laugh and play. The lunch staff makes sure that the kids clean up their own trash, but if they help the principal pick up trash, then they get a cookie. After they are done eating, they get to play outside. It is very non-rigid.

This is an elementary school in California.

[Nov3]

Baaaah Baaaah Baaa

[Navy Patriot]

"Teach grabbed the phone..." If that is the case, the teacher had to have assaulted the student.

This may be the legal description of the incident, in which case the teacher is a criminal, and should be prosecuted and sued along with the school district. I wonder if the brave ACLU would like to tackle this one. This kid has no one to speak for him here.

Ideally he would not have been disrespectful, however, he is not of age, mature, or experienced, and the teacher IS, who is the more irresponsible in the creating of this incident?

[fatnotlazy]

Baaaah Baaaah Baaa

****

Huh?

[HardStarboard]

For crying out loud - the kids only parent is in Iraq.

It may have been the last call he ever gets from his Mom.

The school administration is out of line - this could have been handled quietly. Sounds like the teacher or principle are leftist jerk NEA members.

[eastforker]

You are so right, when my son's unit got hit and we saw it on FNC and knew it was his unit we had to wait almost a week to hear he was OK, longest week of my life.

[Sterco]

Baaaah Baaaah Baaa

Somebody forget to close the gate and let the sheep in?

[blu]

Baaaah Baaaah Baaa **** Huh?

Means sheeple...as in one who follows the rules rigidly, to the neglect of common sense. Here, have another glass of kool-aid.

[Bella_Bru]

And that is exactly how he should have asked. Power tripping school administrator's trump a parent's phone call from Iraq? Only in a fascist's dream world.

[fatnotlazy]

So it's ok to teach the child that he can do whatever he wants...break any rules...it's ok..

[Jenya]

Where does it say in the article that the father is dead? Is there another article?

And the teacher sucks.

[Terabitten]

This is surprising. I live in Columbus, and this is a rabidly pro-military town with Ft. Benning and 3rd Brigade, 3rd ID here. I'm surprised at the teacher's reaction.