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]

Thnx. I didn't even think to type her name in. This town must be really really small. I typed her name in and found this.

tobacco.org
"She said the principal's wife saw her smoking outside the school grounds and reported it to administrators."

What a nosey ol biddy.

[mc5cents]

The school Board is just "looking out" for the welfare of the children...

[Celtman]

What lessons are we teaching our kids if we back off on any rule, and let the students have their ways.

      Maybe the lesson that the public schools, as a branch of government, do not have the right to levy executive punishment without due process of law.  Maybe the lesson that an adult (which she is) has rights.  Maybe the lesson that government administrators do not have the right to make rules as they please, without regard to constitutional and legal restrictions.

Don't tread on me

[philetus]

Sure thing. Lets cheer the school board, dictating what the kids do away from school.

Good thing the school board isn't all vegetarians.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"I'm amazed at how many people think it's ok for this kid to be smoking at such a young age."

And they would be the entire population of the State of North Dakota.

I'm amazed that you haven't figured out that normally, people are not punished for engaging in completely legal activities.

[philetus]

I seriously think you are in the wrong forum.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I'm pretty sure that he/she's in the wrong country actually.

[philetus]

but I don't understand the purpose of harassing and punishing the students when they are suppose to be under parental or guardian control..""

It's called abuse of authority and it's getting worse every day because of the attitutes of people ( like excalibur1701) who condone government sticking their nose into every aspect of our lives.

[markv840]

Well it turns out the judge ruled that she should be allowed to go to the prom. Here's the link to the article: http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D81MBM8O1 --IMHO the court made the right decision; after all, the school district has no business telling people what they can or cannot do outside the schoolgrounds, no matter how objectionable they might think it is. the bottom line is that if schoolboars start dictating what individuals are "allowed" to do, then they might as well take all of our decision making "privileges."

[SendShaqtoIraq]

"They have to have the ability to make 18 year olds follow the same rules as 17 year olds, otherwise they'll have chaos."

On school grounds or at school activities, yes. Off school grounds and NOT at a school activity, NO.

[Ken H]

Well it turns out the judge ruled that she should be allowed to go to the prom.

School board bitch-slapped.

[Bella_Bru]

Score one for the 'snmaller less intrusive government' team.

[SendShaqtoIraq]

""In Jr. High School, my football coach cut our nose tackle because he saw him smoking somewhere off campus. I guess that didn't merit a blithering newspaper article in 1973."


I'd say the only reason this is mentioned is because it went to court. On the other hand..while smoking is obviously unhealthy...especially for athletes..I think it's wrong he got kicked off the team. Did the rules say that he could be kicked off if deemed a smoker?"

In JUNIOR high school, it is also illegal for him to smoke, unless he's really, really, really, dumb. In that case he would have also been over the legally allowed to play age for that group.

[Freedom2specul8]

I'm not sure about that...in the 70's...I was able to buy a pack of cigarettes at at 13! I think that law didn't come out until what..the 80's? Even if it was illegal..maybe the player was off school property perhaps? I kind of thought he was ON property..which should have just caused a suspension. Maybe the suspension could have kicked him off the team..but not the smoking.

[Freedom2specul8]

Oh thank you thank you thank you for posting this!!! Yee Haw!

the judge ruled that she should be allowed to go to the prom....the school district has no business telling people what they can or cannot do outside the schoolgrounds

Tomorrow, we'll have to ping everyone who posted so no one misses the good news.

[Freedom2specul8]

We should send the judge some cigars.. ::snicker snort::

tee hee

[cherry]

well, I hope the school district has the same rules for all their teachers and administrators...

people love to have power trips on the young people, just because they can get away with it....

[HELLRAISER II]

Well i'm definately not going to give up "doing it" and truthfully other than a good partagas cigar every now & then I don't smoke. But you know the old lady would be really pissed if I dropped ashes on her face during the act, so i'll take your advice & pass on doing both at the same time.

[HELLRAISER II]

Sometimes I wonder.

[paltz]

A.She's not a minor...that's always an issue
B.She was not on school grounds, but how close to school grounds was she?, Who was she around?, Let's Face it "of age" teen agers(even those 21 yr olds in college) like to flaunt their "age" to their younger counterparts by participating in their "legal" activities in front of them. ...an issue
C.School rules says one cannot participate in extra-curricular activities if one smokes.

Hmmm... I tend to wonder...does the school make the students(athletes for that matter) sign no smoking/alcohol/ drug contracts? Some schools do this...both public and private. One reason schools do this is because 18 year old seniors legally can smoke. Is this more of an issue of controlling the environment and throwing the baby out with the baby bath water than anything else? I'm simply asking questions, the article is not providing answers for. Maybe she was hanging out in her house with a couple of Reds and a vindictive friend ratted her out...I don't know. But the circumstances are so vague here. Should she go to the Prom?...Probably. I just want to know more of the story.