Girl Banned From Prom For Smoking Away From School

www.thekansascitychannel.com ^ | March 31, 2004

[Freedom2specul8]

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Leona Fitzpatrick is going to court -- in order to go to the senior prom.

She's been barred from her prom for smoking -- and not even on school grounds. The Hillsboro, N.D., School Board has rules against students using alcohol, tobacco or drugs.

Students can be kicked out of extracurricular activities for violating the no-smoking rule. Now, Leona is seeking a court order so she can go to the dance. Her parents point out that she's 18 and legally allowed to smoke in North Dakota.

[Freedom2specul8]

"we don't use tobacco because we do think that the people who use it are likely to drink!"

That is so funny.. and true. (well, sort of!!) most of us who smoked avoided bars like the plague after we quit. ;)

[excalibur1701]

>Ex, you're about to be run over by George Soros and his merry
> band of druggies. Take cover! Take cover!

Cute, very cute. lol

I'm about as concervative as they come. I'm amazed how I'm portrayed as some ex-nazi, just because I have the audacity to think kids need to learn the value of following rules. Right or wrong, it's still a good value to learn at her early age.

[Just another Joe]

Puff for public school control of children (and adults) 24/7.

[BSunday]

Are they sure this didn't happen in Ithaca ? I think we have a nominee for "City of Evil - Midwest"

[Sloth]

Here she is:

[Modernman]

Of course they can. All they have to do is pass a rule, like the ones you claim are just fine on other issues.

Nope- a school board doesn't have the legal power to pass such rules. Unless they've been given such powers by the state government. The state could raise the smoking age for students still in school or whatnot. However, I'm not sure how a school board could argue that its powers extend outside of school property. It would be like the school board trying to pass zoning laws.

[Skooz]

Did the rules say that he could be kicked off if deemed a smoker?

I honestly don't remember. Probably so, because the coach was always going on and on about us being "Rusheon Junior Hah Skewel ath-a-leets" who had to maintain a higher standard than the normal non-football playing students.

He probably shouldn't have gotten kicked off the team, but somehow our republic survived.

[tx_eggman]

I'm amazed how I'm portrayed as some ex-nazi

excuse me ... I didn't mean to imply ex

[Steve_Seattle]

The question here is the legitimacy of a rule which prohibits legal behavior OUTSIDE of school grounds. What if the rule had prohibited the girl from attending church, or eating meat, or watching Fox News?

[Gabz]

I graduated in 78. Only seniors were permitted to smoke on school grounds, and only outside. We were not permitted to smoke inside, but the teachers were.

[Freedom2specul8]

"This is a proper exercise of local government - doing the bidding of the national government without direct involvement. Now do you understand? If not, please report to the Ministry of Truth tomorrow morning at 7:00 A.M."

LOL Of course it's not funny..but that definitely has a ring of truth to it. and dang..don't ya know the enforcers (schoolboard) are VOLUNTEERS!

[somniferum]

I think Samwise summed it quite nicely.

"Thats quite enough. I don't want to hear no more. No welcome, no beer, no smoke, and a lot of rules and orc-talk instead. I hoped to have a rest, but I can see there's still work and trouble ahead."

Im hearing way too much "orc talk" (read: liberal) on this forum lately :P

[tx_eggman]

Let's do apples to apples. What would your stand be if the rule in question was that kids at that High School were not allowed to engage in a different legal behavior, say driving?

[spectre]

I'd be interested in what the lawyers on FR have to say about this.????

I hope she wins her case.

sw

[Modernman]

So your stand on openly homosexual teachers is....?

Fine with me. Now, if they're talking about their sex lives in class, we have a problem.

[Sloth]

because I have the audacity to think kids need to learn the value of following rules.

Why don't you think school boards need to learn the value of following rules?

[Sunshine Sister]

I had to read your post a couple of times before I got the point. You are right.

[Cogadh na Sith]

I have the audacity to think kids need to learn the value of following rules.

18 is the age of majority legally, and thus no longer a kid. A school acts 'en loco parentis' legally when a student is on the grounds or on school-owned transportation to or from school. A school cannot enforce that role in the place of parents on adults away from the school grounds. Those are the rules.

Which rules do you want her to follow? The state rules, the federal rules or the school rules?

Recognizing a tin-pot dictator like the school administrators is at least as important as 'learning to follow the rules'.

Rules are not rules if the rule-makers do not have the legal authority to make those rules.

[Freedom2specul8]

"The day that a school board can exercise any sort of dominion over a teen's behavior outside of an academic setting, is the day we come one step closer to a police state."

AND they're not even paid to do it. It's a bunch of hooey. Next thing you know they'll be punishing parents for giving a happy meal to kids the night before MAPP tests..

[Sunshine Sister]

You too are correct. Legality has nothing to do with it.