Lorain/Elyria, OH
Zero tolerance for Tylenol? Boy says school official coerced him into signing drug confession
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AMHERST — For Amherst Steele High School freshman Mike McGannon, one little white pill was enough to get him expelled — even though he insists it was just a Tylenol.
But school officials apparently thought it was something else, and the 14-year-old contends the school’s assistant principal coerced him into to sign a false statement saying the pill was Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug.
Exactly what the pill is remains unclear —
But school officials punished Mike anyway. He was given a 10-day suspension initially, and then expelled for 80 days. He won’t be allowed back in class until Oct. 15.
That’s long enough, said his father, also named Mike McGannon, to seriously hurt his son’s education. Mike gets A’s and B’s and was a wide receiver on the freshman football team in the fall, his father said.
He had planned to try out for the school’s baseball team this spring before the incident, McGannon said.
McGannon is challenging the expulsion, and he said school officials forced his son to confess to something he didn’t do.
“They’re going on a witch hunt for my boy and all they have is an aspirin,” McGannon said.
Amherst Superintendent Robert Boynton refused to comment specifically on his decision to expel Mike, but he said Friday that the school has a strict anti-drug policy.
“Under the code of conduct, a student can be disciplined for drugs,” Boynton said. “They can be look-alike drugs or they can be actual drugs.”
In his March 14 letter of expulsion, Boynton wrote that he was sorry that he had to expel the boy, but he had little choice.
“Michael behaved in a manner that cannot be tolerated by the school system,” Boynton wrote.
Mike said his problems began in his second period gym class on March 4, when he complained about a headache to a fellow student.
“I had a headache and he just said ‘Here, take a Tylenol,’ ” Mike said.
Mike said he put the pill in his pocket, intending to take it after class, but before he could, he was confronted by Principal Mike Gillam, who took him to the school’s office and forced him to turn out his pockets.
That’s when Mike turned over the pill and told Gillam it was a Tylenol. But Mike said neither Gillam nor Assistant Principal Jeanne Kornick believed him.
Gillam finally left the room, leaving him alone with Kornick, Mike said.
For more than an hour, he said he kept insisting it was Tylenol — which he admits having in violation of school rules that require a parent to dispense any drugs — but Kornick didn’t believe him, and she wouldn’t let him leave the office until he admitted he did drugs at school.
And so finally, he wrote out a confession — one in which he wrote that he and other students brought pills to school and had been told by older students to crush them and snort them. He also wrote that he had brought Xanax to school, and he wrote that he and another student snorted pills
“Stupid,’’ is how he now describes that decision.
But he also noted in the written statement that he got the pill from another student, whose name was redacted in a copy provided to The Chronicle by McGannon, and that the student told him it was Tylenol.
Zachary Simonoff, McGannon family attorney, said he isn’t surprised that Mike told Kornick what she wanted to hear, particularly after she promised him he would face minimal punishment if he admitted using drugs on school property.
“That’s the definition of coerced,” he said.
The 15-year-old boy who Mike said gave him the pill was arrested that same day after police reported finding him with cigarettes and Seroquel, a drug used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
McGannon said police told him his son had nothing to worry about from them.
In the meantime, Simonoff said he plans to ask a county judge to issue an order allowing Mike to return to school while the family asks the Amherst School Board to overturn the expulsion.
The only other option, Simonoff said, would be to take an offer from Boynton that would allow Mike to return to school in June, but only if he subjects himself to random drug tests and undergoes drug and alcohol counseling.
“You’d think he was snorting crack on the front steps of the school with all those requirements,” Simonoff said.
McGannon said he’s not inclined to take the offer because the district overreacted and is taking its zero-tolerance policy too far.
Mike said he’s never done drugs, and that his education is important to him as well as his father.
“I just want to go back to school,” he said.
Contact Brad Dicken at 329-7147 or bdicken@chroniclet.com.
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Oh please, get a grip. While I’m all for the zero-tolerance policy in schools I do think that things are taken too far. Why is Mike getting expelled and this other kid not? It sounds to me like the school officials need to redirect their attention to this other boy and lay off of Mike. If you really thought this was more than a Tylenol then why not send it to the lab and have it tested? I’ll tell you why, it’s because you don’t want to put money into something you know is going to come back to make yourself look bad. Sometimes people amaze me by their stupidity. Did you know that Xanax looks nothing like a Tylenol? Yeah, you might want to get the two next to each other and look.
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That’s the trouble with zero-tolerance, there are no exceptions!
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Less we forget , students are no longer allowed to hug each other either. God forbid, that might look like a sexual act. How far do we let stupid rules like this go? Since when is it illegal to show compassion? Example: My grandaughter who is 8 just had an incident where one of her classmates lost his father. I told her when the boy comes back give him a hug and tell him how sorry you are to hear about his Dad. Her response was,” We are not allowed to hug him, it’s against the rules?. How sick is that? We are talking 8 year old little kids here. To my understanding they are not allowed to carry any tiypes of cold meds either. Cough Drops, asprin, ect. Going a little too far aren’t we? When does the madness end?
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I understand their policies to an extent. I know what has been happening in Marion L Steele, however, whatever happened to being innocent until proven guilty?
The affection policy is messed up. I am trying to teach my children compassion and sympathy..etc… who else has a true right to intervene that? Hummmmm noone!
Seriously parents, if you do not know what all is happening within the schools, you really need to talk to your children and be involved. My son comes home and tells me what all happened during the day. Guess what? These kids are bold enough to snort drugs in the bathroom in front of other students! Yeah. So like I said, I do agree to an extent to their policies, however, this one has gone way to far. Obviously Mike has been a good student, no mention of trouble in his past……..so why are they being so harsh.
Good luck to you Mike and your family, I hope you beat this, and when you do, make sure you go public. Many of us would like to know the outcome!
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unfortunately, organizations had to put policies like these, ridiculous or not, in place due to the fact that they had to begin protecting themselves from accountability or liability from all angles. i totally agree with a few statements here: how pathetic is it that a child cannot properly show compassion and console a friend while on school property? this is how pathetic it is: should the “consolee” feel violated, it’s not the “consolers” family who has to be accountable for their child’s actions, it’s the school district, the principal, the teacher, et al. that, unfortunately, is the downward turn issues such as these have taken in our society. “well, you allowed the child to hug my child. and my child neither asked to be hugged, nor wanted to be hug. so it is YOU, school district, who is responsible for my child feeling so violated–both personally, and physically. not the other child, and/or their family. YOU!”
yes, that example sounds like a stretch. however, those are often times the allegations.
as for not allowing the child to disperse their medication to themselves on school property without the knowledge of school officials, and/or consent of their parents, this is simple…even down to a cough drop. as for medication in the form of prescription or nonprescription pills: how is a teacher and/or school official expected to know what the child is taking without disclosure from a parent? what if the child does, as in this case it is claimed, “share” with a friend? what if that friend has an allergic reaction the school is then unprepared to deal with–they have no information to provide to ems, police, etc.? what if the child takes a cough drop and begins choking? is it the responsibility of the teacher or school official to monitor the child as the cough drop dissolves, so as to thwart any possible risk? how can they do so if they have no knowledge of the child taking the lozenges to begin with?
yes, these may all seem like crazy, over-the-top scenarios, but they happen. and who gets blamed by the parents in the long run? the teacher, the principal, and the school district. research why these policies had to be created to begin with. some of these policies are simply reactive to a circumstance. however, due to the liability and accountability being placed on school districts, the result has been for districts to establish (sometimes silly) proactive policies that harm more than help the good for all.
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Look back at when those of us with some mileage under our belt went to school. We used to bring aspirin and other over the counter medication into the building. Prescription medications too, which usually consisted of antibiotics. No one got in trouble for it and there was no underground drug trade for them. “Hey buddy, I got some real good aspirin for sale.” There were plenty of illicit drugs which had effects aspirin never would have. Those were popular. Now, all this was before Americans started doping up their children with such things as Ritalin. Hell, this was before Americans started doping themselves up with antidepressants and Xanax bars. In more household medicine cabinets than not, the Get High Kids have a smorgasbord of choices to partake of. There are couple public service announcements on the television about the danger. Because of this, I understand why the schools have to be so strict now. There is no reason to have to send any pill out to get tested at the lab. There’s a website with a picture and identifying information of every pill, capsule and tablet made including over the counter ones.
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If Mike is as pure as the driven snow, as he may be. Then have him take a hair type drug test. In this it will tell if, what and when he has taken any pharmacuticals.
However, I think ALL TEACHERS and School Staff should also be tested randomly and lets see who the real drugies are in our school buildings.
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I have to laugh at Jack’s statement. I have a few years under my butt lol.. I can remember carrying a bottle (with my parents knowledge) containing , asprin, midol, cough drops, tums, and all other daily emergency supplies. I was the one others would come to when they had headaches, cramps, heartburn, etc. Including a couple of times teachers. I was smart enough to know I didn’t want to go to the nurses office and lay down because i had damn heartburn lol. Take a tums and I was fine. After all, eating school lunches would cause that 9 out of 10 times. It’s just sad that it has come to this. And I agree with RJR also. I’m no spring chicken and I do take prescription drugs. I also have small children living in my household, but those drugs are in my room under lock and key. Besides, my drugs are not ones kids would want to get a hold of anyway lol. Nothing here that would get them high. But, I do agree with him that there are plenty of parents out there with medicine chest full of goodies. But, then I didn’t grow up in a generation where getting high on drugs was a priority, I got high on life.
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I totally agree with you RJR. I believe all personall should be examand. As for the affections, I understand a small inch of it. But it surely didn’t help my son last spring when we reported to the police that he was being fondled at school by another student. The student remains in class, and I pulled my son out of that school very quickly. So, if your child does try to console someone, don’t worry, nothing will happen, cause if you’re molested on the playground or the bathroom, you get away with it too.
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Sorry , one more thing, why aren’t that boys parents demanding that pill be tested. If that is just an asprin the school will have to recant all of this and apologize to that boy and his family.
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There are usually two sides to every story. I agree, the parents should demand that the pill be tested. That would be easy enough.
I thoroughly agree with the zero tolerance policy however. The stories my child tells me of drug abuse and use in Amherst are appalling. I think too many parents are unaware and too quick to side with their children.
Test the pill and be done with it……
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Under a zero tolerance policy, the school has no choice but to discipline Mike, without regard to the pill being
Tylenol or Xanax. That is what “zero tolerance” means. I’m sure the policy is made clear to all students, so Mike knew the consequences of accepting the Tylenol from his friend. If the schools, students, or parents don’t like the policy, work to change it.
NEWSFLASH: Kids lie! To their parents!! Especially to get out of trouble!!! Good kids, kids with A’s and B’s, athletes. It happens.
How likely is it the pill was really a Tylenol? After all, according to the article, the boy who provided it to Mike was arrested the very same day while in possession of illegal drugs.
How likely is it Mike wrote an elaborate confession, with details including how the drug is ingested, and using the name Xanax in the confession, but the truth was something as simple as the pill was a Tylenol?
In my experience, which includes investigating incidents just like this one, after kids have time to think about the situation, they can make up a lie that is acceptable to their parents, e.g., “I had a headache and a kid gave me a Tylenol.” Parents, who are more interested in being friends with their kids than they are interested in parenting, believe the much preferable lie to the more likely version of events given by school officials.
In cases like this, who has a reason to lie? Why would school officials lie about this situation? They don’t want the publicity, they don’t want the problems, and they sure don’t want the statistic of drug related discipline on the school record. But Mike has lots of reasons to lie.
I am not saying with certainty that the school was right and Mike was lying. I hope the schools and or the Amherst Police have an analysis of the pill done. And I hope Mike is telling the truth, that it was just a Tylenol. I like when seemingly good kids are vindicated.
What I am saying is, first, that with a zero tolerance policy, any violation of school drug policy requires discipline; even it turns out to be Tylenol, Mike clearly violated that policy. Second, it is unlikely Mike was coerced by the evil school staff to write an elaborate confession.
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george said:
NEWSFLASH: Kids lie! To their parents!! Especially to get out of trouble!!! Good kids, kids with A’s and B’s, athletes. It happens.
yes, because of human nature, OR, they see that working regularly for other kids in the school or city. (how quickly we forget what we, or our brothers and sisters were like as kids. let’s get a reality check here, for the sake of everyone.)
george said:
in my experience, which includes investigating incidents just like this one, after kids have time to think about the situation, they can make up a lie that is acceptable to their parents, e.g., “I had a headache and a kid gave me a Tylenol.†Parents, who are more interested in being friends with their kids than they are interested in parenting, believe the much preferable lie to the more likely version of events given by school officials.
shoot, they have the “story” fabricated long before being caught.
and yes, why do parents want to be their kids friend? i have often asked myself this same thought provoking question. why?
george said:
Why would school officials lie about this situation? They don’t want the publicity, they don’t want the problems, and they sure don’t want the statistic of drug related discipline on the school record.
i couldn’t agree more. particularly in a district where the msm has never reported stories such as this before. i’m sure westlake LOVED their drug problems being reported all over ne.o. the difference is, however, how they handled the situation. and how their policy created and open line of communication between students and teachers. when that happened, students learned to trust the teachers and help rid their schools of the problems. is it a perfect solution? no. none ever are, depending on your point-of-view. however, so far it seems to be working in a positive way for both the students and staff.
the bottom line here is, if there is a policy, follow it. if you don’t like it, find an effective way to change it. and don’t be surprised when your kid gets caught…breaking a policy, or lying to your face. once they do, hold THEM accountable for their choices and actions. NOT the school district. don’t be resentful because the school district broke the shocking news that your kids is doing something wrong, and lying to your face about it.
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Sounds like some people on here convicted this kid just because of what they think….kids lie, etc….
George,
This kid wasn’t arrested for anything so apparently it was tylenol, we don’t know until the police complete an investigation…Fair statement, right?
The point here is does the punishment fit the crime.
I’m all for Zero Tolerance but to be expelled for tylenol???
Does the school have zero tolerance for horse play? They should. Kids go to school to learn not play around and would they expell every kid that horse plays?
If they did the schools would empty out real fast.
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ctReader:
That the kid wasn’t arrested does not mean it was Tylenol. It means only that police did not make an arrest. They still may, or may not. Police often don’t act right away and choose to wait for test results, more information, and further investigations. I hope they test the pill and act accordingly. However, even it it turns out to be Tylenol, Mike would still be subject to disciplinary action because of the school’s zero-tolerance drug policy. That means just that, zero-tolerance for any drug possession. Therefore, the punishment does fit the crime. Apparently, there is no zero-tolerance policy for horse play at the school.
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I don’t agree with zero tolerance at all. I don’t really see where it helps protect the students. If they’re not caught parents can still blame the schools.
Zero tolerance = zero common sense.
Schools are supposed to teach students. These type of rules don’t help the education process. Kids make mistakes and make bad decision all the time. To have such a stiff punishment for kids is ridiculous.
Zero tolerance is not part of real life. How about applying zero tolerance to everyone in the schools including teachers and administrators? That would only be too fair.
If you expect kids to be perfect shouldn’t we expect the adults in the school to be held to that same standard?
If they did I guarantee you teachers and administrators would drop zero tolerance ASAP.
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i don’t think it’s so much an issue with EXPECTING kids to be perfect, but rather, to teach them ACCOUNTABILITY for their choices and actions.
if we, as adults have to follow rules, policies, or laws, be it in the home, work place, or on the streets, then why isn’t the same expectation there for kids?
seriously, on one hand people argue that there isn’t much difference between a 16 y/o,17 y/o, 18 y/o, or 21 y/o, so let’s lower the legal age to drive, vote and/or consume alcohol. but on the other hand, when children get it trouble bc they feel they are invincible and rules, policies, and laws do not apply to them and their sense of entitlement, the argument resorts back to them being young, immature children who haven’t developed enough to know the difference between right and wrong.
well, which is it?
and as stated earlier, maybe organizations wouldn’t have to have zero tolerance policies if the parents and/or supporters of the guilty party (read: person breaking the policy or rule) did not push accountability back onto the organization, telling the organization it is THEIR fault the guilty party went astray to begin with.
i always find it ironic how nowadays, parents only want to be parents when their kid is caught being the best, not caught with their hands in the cookie jar. then it’s someone else’s or something else’s fault. it couldn’t possibly be their fault, and they certainly aren’t going to take responsibility for their kid getting in trouble.
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I agree with George. He couldn’t have said it better. There is a zero tolerance policy in effect therefore both students knew the consequences. And from the sound of the article both got what they had coming. The second child was arrested for illegal drugs, I’m willing to bet he has a suspension waiting in the wings as well.
And yes children will make up lies especially when having to explain to their parents why the can’t return to school for 90 days.
I’m not saying saying that Mike is not a role model child who never lies, but he did change his story when interrogated by school officals over a length of time. And seemed to use great detail describing how he would use the pills.
And if his parents believe that there is no possibility that he will never do drugs because he gets good grades and plays sports they are sadly naive. Many cases have come out in the media over time about children, college athletes, and even pro athletes using illegal substances..
I have children in high school and when meds need to be dispensed a simple note from the parents seems to work fine.
The bottom line is that the pill will be tested and they knew theirewas a zero tolerance policy in effect…
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I think it’s funny that so many ppl have something to say about this subject. To many points ppl make sense, but I will go back to the beginning and ask, Have you ever asked someone for Tylenol or Advil, because of your headache or pain. Did you ever have to question them. Remember that the next time you do. You know what a pain reliever looks like, you’ve grown up with them in your medicine cabinet just like I did, and never once did I have to question my mother, sister or a friend. Not because I know they are not druggies, but because I trust that they wouldn’t give me a drug that wasn’t what I asked for. Kids are gullible. They are not very such liers, just GULIBLE. Yes some kids lie, but they obviously didn’t have the moment to come up with this one, since the kid was dragged off to the office for Hours of questioning WITH OUT A PARENT PRESENT! I tell my 10 yr old, not to answer questions like this without calling me first, I don’t care what they try to say to you, you pick up your cell and call me right away.To me, many ppl in the school districts are there for the $$$$$ not for the kids. I hope that this boys parents bring that info up when they SUE the heck out of the school for doing this to their son. And I hope that it does come back as a form of Tylenol or advil so that all will see that yes VIRGINIA THERE ARE STILL GOOD KIDS IN THE WORLD!
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ok, let’s go back to the beginning…why didn’t the kid ask to go to the nurse’s office? if the headache was so terrible that he needed to “bum” a pill from a “friend,” why didn’t he just ask to be excused and walk down to the proper person to ask for relief?
and not all “friends” are as trustworthy as you may think. that is why the entire story, down to the trusted “friend” later being arrested for illegal possession, is so strange and unbelievable.
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My point is you are asking these kids to be perfect. Make a mistake are your subject to these nonsense no tolerance rules.
Adults have to follow rules but we don’t have no tolerance punishment if we don’t follow the rules.
How would like to have your driver license suspended if you are caught speeding?
Adults would say that’s ridiculous and the punishment is excessive.
So why is this kind of punishment tolerated for our kids?
That’s why I say schools are expecting kids to be perfect. Make a mistake or bad decision and they are hit with this kind of punishment?
I don’t buy the argument about liability. I’m not saying these kids shouldn’t be punished it’s just that it should fit the crime.
That’s the way our society works.
Except for schools.
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I see what we have here are two groups of people commenting:
One group who understands the rules, appreciate them for what they are, are most likely law abiding citizens who also trust their kids to not do something stupid.
Then…
There are the parents of kids who are not so sure about their childrens behavior and are worried themselves that their children could be caught…just like Mike.
I’m a father of a 5 yr old boy and two teenage girls.
I could not for the life of me imagine a situation where they would confess, on paper with a signature to something they had not done.
For Mike to say one thing “I was given the pill” to him writing on paper that he “brought pills to school” and to sign it is indicative of his “stupidity” as he himself puts it.
If you’re so innocent Mike, then allow yourself to be tested and prove to the nay sayers (myself included) that you are in fact innocent.
In reference to the reader calling for a lawsuit, YOU…yes YOU!!! are the exact reason that “NO TOLERANCE” policies are implemented.
No tolerance means just that, nothing more, nothing less. It is a simple way to administer discipline, and to control a potential problem that exists in todays schools. They are more simple to enforce and leave no “gray” area open for interpretation and no one can be accused of favoritism for “expelling” Mike, while just “suspending” Amy. (which would obviously lead to a suit).
All students in Amherst schools are provided a copy of the student handbook, with all its rules and regulations, spelled out in black and white so every educated person can understand.
What we all should be doing, is be a parent, teach kids the rules are for EVERYONE, and that there are CONSEQUENCES for breaking them. Whether you agree with them or not, they are there for a reason, to protect the children.
If you don’t like the rules, go to a district that has none.
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Close the schools, buy all the kids computers and let them teach themselves on line or where ever or when ever they can connect. This way there is no student interaction and then all medication would be passed out by their parents, and this won’t happen again… Wait… the parents are at work… hmm .. Give the kid a break or test the pill for drugs….
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having a drivers license suspended due to one case of speeding is absolutely misleading–at best. under the o.r.c., this simply cannot happen. you have to have extenuating circumstances, whereby a court of law is finding you guilty of reckless driving as part of a bigger issue, i.e., prior ticketing/points, driving under prior suspension, driving with under the influence or intoxicated, or driving without insurance, to name a few. so, please try not to go there.
finally, the raven, you hit it dead on. all of it!
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Doesn’t anyone find it odd that this friend of Mike’s just happened to have a “tylenol” in his pocket? How convenient. It’s absolutely rediculous that people are calling this punishment unfair. Hello! The policy is even available on their website for crying out loud. The problem is that many parents do not want to take responsibility. If his parents had gone over the rules with him (and maybe told him out of common sense not to take drugs from people) he would have never been in this situation to begin with. I truly hope it was just a tylenol because I am seriously alarmed by the growing rate of prescrition drug abuse among teenagers these days. But folks, zero tolerance is in place to protect, bottom line.
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To megnspan,
You’re right, kids are gullible, so let’s look at the “what ifs” of this story. What if, because he’s gullible, Mike took the pill that he thought was a Tylenol but it turned out to be Seraquil (which does look similiar to Tylenol pills and is what the other kid was caught with.) Mike has some adverse reaction to the Seraquil and . . .
Something tells me that you would advise Mike’s parents to SUE the HECK out of the school district because this scenario could have been prevented if they would have followed the zero-tolerance policy.
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My example about speeding was a ‘what if’ we had zero tolerance for everything. Adults would not tolerate it because we all make mistakes. However these kids are expected to not make mistakes. I’m not necessarily speaking of this situation but the countless other situations you hear of that these ‘no tolerance’ rules are applied to.
I have 3 kids in the school system and they have not been any trouble. So just because I’m against no tolerance has nothing to do with my parenting skills or the way my kids behave.
It’s not a good thing to assume.
My daughter takes adderall. Sometimes I find a pill that she didn’t take on the floor or on the counter. Lets say one day she puts it in her pocket and forgets about it.
She just happens to find it in her pocket at school and a teacher sees her with it.
Should she be suspended because she forgot it was in her pocket?
This specific case the kid may be guilty and the school should apply whatever punishment they deem necessary. But to have a no tolerance rule that would apply the same punishment to all is ridiculous.
Explain to me how ‘no tolerance’ will protect schools from frivolous lawsuits. How is it different if a school applies a adequate punishment based on the offense?
People who are going to sue are going to sue regardless. As long as the school has it’s rules and policies against these types of things and apply a fitting punishment when they are violated they should be protected from parents who don’t have a clue.
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Well Rotor, let me put it in a simpler term…for you to understand.
If your daughter places a pocket knife in her pocket…
If your daughter places cigarettes in her pocket…
If your daughter places a pill in her pocket…
Do you get it now?
All three are seemingly (cigarettes aside) harmless things that the School Board has a no tolerance policy for.
Your daughter probably has no need for a pocket knife, but it’s perfectly legal.
Your daughter probably doesn’t smoke…perfectly legal for adults.
But the drug/pill as you put it does apply to your daughter so she should have a “no punishment” policy special, just for her. It doesn’t work that way, because of parents like you who jump at the chance to place BLAME everywhere but where it is supposed to be applied. You’d rather spend thousands of dollars of taxpayer money just to say hey, don’t pick on my kid, she did nothing wrong.
Well Rotor…in the lawful society in which we live, there are rules that apply to everyone, not just the kids with the long hair or different skin color. Whether we like those rules or not.
Mike had the pill…period.
Even an idiot should be able to understand “no tolerance”
I thought it was idiot proof…guess not.
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I love people that say “SUE the school”. Give me a break. That is exactly what’s wrong with this country. How about this…..instead of suing the school and trying to blame THEM, let’s put the blame where it belongs and, just maybe, teach this kid a lesson about responsibility. Whether it was Tylenol or Xanax or whatever, the kid new the rules and he CHOSE to break them. He got caught, now it’s time to pay. My dad would have smacked me and made me write an apology letter to the school. You are missing one of the few crucial chances to teach your kid a lesson, Dad.
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WOW! I have read all of these comments, including the last one I wrote. INCREDIBLE.
When I said I agreed to the schools polcies to an extent, I still mean that. I feel compassion/sympathy and guilt are what most kids lack these days…and it should be ok to try to console someone in need.
However, the zero tolerance policy does apply to all students, whether we like it or not, our children have to respect that.
I do hope that the pill in question is tested so all of this can be put to rest. I do feel the punishment of suspension was harsh due to the fact that noone knows if it was a tylenol or a prescription drug.
I know I had said that Mike had no history of trouble and appeared to be a good kid/student. Well I am also one of those parents who sees good in all the kids, regardless if they have had troubles. Again, I presumed that because there is no history of trouble that it was a tylenol. I did a bit of investigating myself about this situation. I questioned other high school kids about what was going on at MLS. I was told that it was a prescription drug that Mike had. I was also told that other kids were arrested that same day for prescription drugs among others.
Where I live gives me the opportunity to see alot of what is going on in Amherst. I see these kids who have their pants down around their hips, displaying their skinny little butts, I see these girls who prance around Amherst acting like they just walked out of a club in Cleveland, I see so much that I don’t like. What do I do? I make it clear to my children who is and who is not allowed at our house, just by watching the “teenage” behaviors. My children are not perfect, but I do try hard to keep them good. One way is to pay attention to what is going on around this town and to try to keep an open relationship with my children. It is possible to be a parent and to be friendly at the same time. That is why I know these kids are snorting drugs in the bathrooms in front of other students.
Let’s see, how are these kids getting money to buy these street drugs? Is it because they work and don’t have to be responsible for much? Is it because parents feel that high school kids need more than lunch money each day? Hummmmm……where are these kids getting the money to support such an expensive habit? Has anyone ever checked out the street value of these drugs of choice? It’s not just xanax(however spelled) parents, it’s cocaine, it’s pot, and it’s crack…..soon, they’ll be shooting herioin.
OH, one more thing…during the 80’s Community Health Partners…..AKA Community Hospital had a wing just for rehab……guess what? More patients came from our town. Isn’t that something?
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CORRECTION………I meant expulsion , not suspension.
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Raven you don’t seem to get it. Just because a school has a ‘no tolerance’ policy in place doesn’t make it right.
My whole point is no tolerance = no commmon sense.
Where else in our society do we have a no tolerance policy?
Why do we take the group, who will make the most mistakes, and subject them to the harshest penalties?
Can you explain how that makes any sense?
My whole point is the punishment should fit the crime. Why is that so hard for you to understand?
Let’s see. A knife is a lot more serious than a cigarette. Maybe the kid gets a 2 week suspension for the knife, maybe expulsion depending on the circumstances. A cigarette maybe a 2 day suspension.
No tolerance is an excuse for the schools to not do their job. Discipline is part of their job. As long as they enforce their rules they are not going to be subject to more law suits just because they don’t have a no tolerance policy.
When you try to label people, referring to them as idiots, you say a lot more about yourself than anything.
As far as your personal comments. Where did I say my duagher shouldn’t be punished? Did your really read my comments?
What I would hope for is that they would meet with me and stress how important it is not to bring any drugs into the school. Maybe she would get a week of detentions or a 1 day suspension.
Wouldn’t that seem a lot more reasonable than a expulsion for a 7 yr old who made a mistake?
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Rotor,
If you can’t be around to make sure your daughter takes her adderall before she leaves for school, maybe you should consider having her take it at school in front of the nurse to protect your daughter from such a situation. Yes, if a teacher see her with her pills in school, she should face suspension, maybe that will teach her and YOU some responsibility!
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no one on here has stated they are EXPECTING KIDS TO BE PERFECT. that’s naive. however, people on here are saying they are in favor of kids following established rules and policies.
sorry if you truly believe that the rule does not apply to you, your child, or your family situation. however, the rules and/or policies are created with the best interest for ALL, not just billy or susie drug pusher.
as stated significantly earlier, these (sometimes) ridiculous rules and/or policies are often times created in a proactive manner, rather than reactive. that is because one organization has seen the effects a similar organization has faced from being reactive to issues. be grateful your kid is in such a safe, caring environment to LEARN in. that’s the point–that your kid can go to school and LEARN in a safe environment. nothing more, nothing less. btw, part of that learning process is learning to be responsible and accountable for your actions and choices. not playing the blame game or it’s-not-my-fault game.
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There is a fine line between not enough and too much.
For many years, people thought more rules needed to be enforced on students. Now, there are too many rules (or the rules are too stringent)
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Thanks Mom101. I am just a horrible and irresponsible parent because I don’t stand over my child and make her stick out her tongue.
The majority of the time I hand it to her and give her something to drink. Do I watch her actually swallow the pill each time? No
The majority of time she takes the pill and every now and then I find out that
Two sides : I don’t recall anyone hear saying kids shouldn’t be punished. I think some of you read only what you want to read.
The majority of us are saying ‘no tolerance’ punishment can be excessive.
Who here has said this kid shouldn’t be punished? Where has someone said that the kids are not at fault?
Please find those comments for me because I would totally disagree with anyone who thinks that no punishment should be dealt or if they try to blame someone else for their mistake.
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indeed, some people are only reading what they want to read, and not comprehending the points they skim over.
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Nice response two sides.
Just as I thought. You can’t show me a single example of what you claim people are saying.
Here is a quote from you :
“part of that learning process is learning to be responsible and accountable for your actions and choices. not playing the blame game or it’s-not-my-fault game”
Please tell me where someone said the kds should not be accountable. Where did someone say it’s not my fault or play the blame game?
How about this quote : “sorry if you truly believe that the rule does not apply to you, your child, or your family situation.. ”
Can you tell me how you came to this conclusion? I’ve said it many times. I’m against ‘no tolerance’ not against punishment.
If you want to be credible you need to be able to back up what you say. Show me how you came to these conclusions.
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illustrate the part where i specifically said that people on here support the idea that there are established rules or policies whereby kids will be held accountable for there actions and choices? i think that’s been done.
and it’s not so much that i can’t illustrate my point, it’s that i don’t care to. why? again, it’s been done. reread if you must, or move on to a personal quarrel with someone else.
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Rotor, my point to you is this: you and your child know that the zero-tolerance policy is in effect, it’s not going to go away just because you think it is unfair, so if you’re child is on medication it maybe necessary for you to make sure they swallow it in order to protect the child from having to deal with the policy. Yes, it is an excessive policy, but it’s in place for a reason. I have seen way too many times irresponsible parents come into the school and have a fit after their juvenile delinquent has been removed from school “unfairly”. The first thing these parents do is say “You didn’t suspend/expell this other kid who did the exact same thing!” So what if the other kid has never been in trouble before and likely will never be again, these parents don’t want to hear that part. They just want a “fair” punishment for all, that way their kid doesn’t seem so bad.
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Two sides : You have a lot to say but don’t care to prove your point? I showed two of your quotes and simply asked you to clarify them.
If you want people to look at your statements with any kind of credibility the least you can do is back them up.
I’ve read everyone’s comments and do not see a single comment that said no punishment should be handed out.
Yet you clearly state that is what some people want.
I do not see a single statement where anyone said the blame is on the school or anyone else other than the offender.
Yet you clearly state that people are looking to place blame elsewhere.
It’s not looking for quarrel. It’s trying to figure out how you could have possibly come to those conclusions based on the statements here.
I understand why you don’t want to continue this. When you make false statements and assumptions that you have been called on you can’t find any justification for them.
Mom101. I was OK with you first statement until you wanted to make the assumption that I’m irresponsible.
I’m sure you’ve seen ass u me broken down.
People can either accept things just the way the are or question them and enlighten others. Who says things can’t be changed? If parents are vocal enough there is no reason that rules can’t be changed. It’s a lot better than having that attitude than saying that those are the rules and learn to like them.
There seems to be the assumption, there’s that word again, that people who don’t like ‘no tolerance’ policies are irresponsible and bad parents.
My daughter receives a pill at home in the morning and by the nurse at school in the afternoon. My example was just showing how a innocent mistake by a 7 year old can lead to her possibly being expelled from school. So I have taken precautions to avoid that situation.
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Rotor, the assumption is not that those who don’t like the zero tolerance policies are irresponsible and bad parents, usually, they and their children are the victims of it. The fact is this: it is the irresponsible and bad parents that are partly to blame for these policies being put into effect. Instead of accepting the fact that their delinquent
child makes bad choices and deserves an appropriate punishment, they point the finger at the child that makes the “innocent mistake” and say that child should get the same punishment.
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I like how people out there have my son guilty without even knowing him.How many for you went to school and got a tylenol from a friend in school.I know I did. The problem today is that there are too many kids bringing pills like xanax and hydro’s to school. Why don’t the parents have them under lock and key? What about the teachers who bring marijuana to school? When I went to school we did’t have to worry about things like that. Like all the drug activity and bomb threats. Teachers bring things to scohool, some role models they are. Are they really teaching them their subjects or are they teaching them about drugs. I really don’t like sending my kids to school with all the trouble we have in school.
I am appaulled at the way society has gotten. IT REALLY SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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