Debbie Schlussel: Public Schools' "Police State" Behavior Run Amok
Many public schools in America, today, are run exactly like they would be in a Communist state. Anything goes when it comes to what is taught there. Nothing is too ridiculous. But when it comes to "discipline," schools go overboard acting like a Communist police state (and don't actually discipline anyone for truly objectionable behavior).
I've written about this phenomenon before.
No, I'm not talking about things like dogs sniffing lockers for drugs (which I think is reasonable). I'm talking about this from the Detroit suburb of Belleville, Michigan (thanks to reader Mike for the tip):
Cameron Coleman has been anxious for weeks.He is having trouble sleeping. He is failing his science class.
And he is fearful each day when he goes to school, ever since he was ticketed by a school resource officer for "skipping class" while retrieving his jacket from the bathroom during his lunch hour.
Now, the 11-year-old South Middle School student must appear in court on Dec. 6 with his parents for a mandatory interview with a juvenile probation officer to determine his penalty for the disorderly person charge, a misdemeanor offense.
"You don't charge an 11-year-old kid with anything," said Cameron's father, William Coleman. "If it was a gun or knife or a threat to the school I can see it. But that's a bit too much."
Cameron, an average student who has missed three days this year for having the flu twice and a Staph infection last month, has been tardy only a handful of times, Coleman said. Most times, it's because he takes too long in the bathroom. Frequent trips are a side effect of medication he takes to control his genetic condition -- chronic granulomatous disease, a rare illness that causes repeated bacterial infections.
Coleman said he's made many trips and phone calls to the Van Buren Public Schools seeking answers since his son was instructed to bring home the appearance ticket.
On Oct. 29, Coleman said, Cameron was permitted to use the bathroom at the start of his lunch period. Afterward, while waiting in the lunch line, he remembered he'd left his jacket in the bathroom and returned to retrieve it. When he exited, school resource officer Kris Faull of the Belleville Police Department ticketed and detained him. Cameron was held in the school office for several hours, deprived of lunch and forced to miss a make-up test in his science class, which resulted in a failing grade for the marking period.
Even worse, Coleman said, his concerns have been ignored by district officials and the officer who wrote the ticket.
"I wanted to know why it was so important to punish him this way," Coleman said. "The cop was belligerent and told me she'd take me downtown and press charges against me."
Stalin would be proud. Ferris Bueller is lucky he took his day off in the '80s. Today, he'd be headed for court.
Save Ferris . . . AND Cameron Coleman.
Posted by Debbie on November 27, 2007 05:33 PM to Debbie Schlussel