Student may be suspended for alleged racist remarks

Houston Chronicle ^ | Jan. 18, 2003, 1:35AM | By ZANTO PEABODY

[janetgreen]

Thank you. I sent a very polite, to-the-point email.

[dark_lord]

If this were a Christian school, I don't think we'd bat an eye, because we expect Christian schools to demand decent behavior from students. Shouldn't public schools do the same?

No. And we shouldn't expect a Christian school to do anything either - a web site is no different than a privately published newspaper. It is clearly a first Amendment issue. (However, we might expect his Pastor, if he was attending a Christian school, to take him aside and have a little discussion with him about Christian principles.)

[meyer]

In my opinion, the First Amendment would obviously bar them from any discipline involving a suspension of his right to attend and participate in regular school educational activities. However, that being said, they do have a (limited) right to suspend any privileges Harry Huang currently exercises to (for instance) extra-curricular activities and scholarly awards that have, as their basis, some sort of good citizenship, character and/or integrity component. In this narrow sense, that would extend at least some degree of school authority to off-campus and after school hours situations.

It is apparent in the article that Valedictorian status is derived solely from grade point average. Alleged activities, judged by the Principal to be offensive, aren't part of that status unless it was contracted otherwise. IMHO, of course.

For instance, although the school should be barred from suspending him from educational activities, they would be within their right (and good judgment) to, e.g., remove his valedictorian status.

I refer to my previous statement - unless they can lower his GPA. There is a chance that they could bar him from ceremonies, but as these ceremonies are taxpayer funded, they are most likely subject to the equal protection claus of the constitution.

I would suggest that Mr. Huang's failure to responsibly confront the battery committed on him by the mechanics and then compounding that omission by (apparently) verbally lashing out against all persons of Mexican descent, displays a certain weakness of integrity and character.

Mr. Huang is most likely a minor, and as such, can be expected to make the occasional rude comment. And even if he weren't a minor, his GPA stands.

However, like you, I'm extremely troubled by comments by school officials like (and they should know better than this) "...racism and derogatory remarks will not be tolerated". Student conduct off campus and after school hours, is, generally (exceptions noted above), none of their damn business.

Punishment for non-school related activities requires a crime and a trial, not a principal's opinion. I suspect that there is a jealous student involved in this smear campaign against our slightly unrefined Mr. Huang.

[HennepinPrisoner]

For instance, although the school should be barred from suspending him from educational activities, they would be within their right (and good judgment) to, e.g., remove his valedictorian status.

Valedictorian and Salutatorian status are purely mathematical. There is no subjectivity. You may bar the valedictorian from graduation ceremonies, but you cannot take away the status.

I seem to remember this coming up a few years ago when a female valedictorian took a shower with some male students at school. The school barred her from graduation ceremonies, but they could not take away her valedictorian status.

[Ken H]

That was a fantastic letter. Every one of these petty tyrants should be aware that the internet has a way of shining the light on their mischief.