Posted on 12/06/2006 8:02:36 PM PST by ChildOfThe60s
December 06, 2006 Student sues over 10-day suspension
By Andrew Clevenger Staff writer
Kids across America are warned to stay away from “nose candy” in anti-drug campaigns. But a Kanawha County student is fighting his suspension for pretending to put actual candy up his nose.
According to a lawsuit filed in Kanawha Circuit Court Monday, a student-athlete at Sissonville High School was given Smarties candy as a reward for good academic performance. In front of his teacher and fellow classmates, the student pretended to put one of the small candy discs up his nose. Another student used his cell phone to record video of the incident.
Principal Calvin McKinney, who is named as a defendant along with the Kanawha County school board, allegedly called the plaintiff into his office and confronted him about the incident.
“The plaintiff informed ... McKinney ... that at no time did he possess any drug or did he claim to possess any drug,” according to the suit.
Still, McKinney then threatened to suspend the student — identified in the lawsuit only by his initials — unless he joined McKinney’s “Narc Program” and went undercover to find real drug users at the school, according to the suit.
“The [student] was told that he was to ‘hang around the bathroom’ and the school parking lot,” the suit states.
McKinney’s investigation into the incident confirmed that the student was telling the truth about the Smarties candy, according to the suit.
“The plaintiff was informed that even though it was, in fact, just candy ... McKinney needed another ‘Narc’ for his program and that if the student would not agree to enter said Narc Program that he would be suspended,” the suit reads.
After the student and his parents met with school officials and the student refused to cooperate with McKinney’s proposal, he received a 10-day suspension, according to the suit.
McKinney allegedly told the family that his “Narc Program” had been in effect for several years, and this was an opportunity to get a good student to go undercover.
The suit contends that McKinney usually uses the threat of suspension to force students who may be suffering academically to become a part of the “Narc Program.”
As a result of the suspension, which began Friday, the student missed a meeting with recruiters who had visited the school to discuss a scholarship opportunity, the suit contends.
The suit seeks an injunction against the school board and unspecified monetary damages for emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life and the loss of a potential scholarship. It contends that requiring the student to seek out potential drug users could put the student in danger.
School board attorney Jim Withrow could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
I'd like to blackmail that SOB & see how he likes it.
And these people see themselves as equipped to define morality for us & our children. Sanctimonious scum.
OOOHHH, the "NARC" program. Another jackass educrat moron who wants to play cop.
People like this idiot principal here need a serious tail-whooping. What he did to this student is no better than theft and assault, for his own personal self-gratification.
If there was any justice in the world, the principal would be thrown in the stockades and the student would get to repeated kick him in the ass until he was satisfied, the student would get to take the principal's house and car.
Im here to tell you that if they induce one of these kids to make a drug deal, then the admins are probably committing a felony.
I know of a principal that did it in the next county over, and the only thing that kept him from losing his job and getting a felony arrest was he was politically connected.
You are exactly right.
Sounds like a proper punishment to me.
Isn't extortion illegal?
He's lucky they didn't kick in his door and shoot his dog. That's the usual MO for the failed war on some drugs.
I predict this case will go away by the end of the week. Ive been listening to talk radio about this all day and they are ripping the school board a new one over it.
Its pretty damn illegal, what they are doing..if I understand the law correctly, and I think I do.
Keep us posted. I'd be interested to hear about other buffoonery on the part of this clown.
A lot of these school district administrators are criminals. Most of them should be in jail for ripping off public funds, conspiracy, racketeering, drug deals and so forth. But when the cops are on their side, when the prosecutors and the judges are on their side, and they know it, when and where will be any accountability? They have no fear of the law, no fear of God.
his kid= this kid....sorry
What has to happen is that students all over the nation should start 'snitching' on the principals who blackmail them to Crimestoppers and outfits like that. What goes around...can come around.
Why should they worry? Even if they lose, it's not their money...
I certainly hope he wins his lawsuit.
--This kid is one of the most popular kids in school, --
Sticking candy up your nose in front of the class is the way to popularity in hight school now?
Maybe his family lawyer ought to call in the FBI or the DEA to investigate the principal and the school district! The principal admitted he's been blackmailing students for years. Let him be put away for a long time.
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