HILLSBORO - Leona Fitzpatrick and her parents say it's not fair to ban her from the senior prom for smoking outside school grounds. The School Board says it's sticking by its policy.
"Everyone's talking about prom," said 18-year-old Leona "Oni" Fitzpatrick. "I really want to go. It's my senior year."
The School Board policy suspends students from extracurricular activities for using alcohol, tobacco or narcotics. The Hillsboro School Board includes prom and other dances as extracurricular activities.
Fitzpatrick gave a speech for a class last month about smokers' rights, in which she admitted being a smoker. She said the principal's wife saw her smoking outside the school grounds and reported it to administrators.
Principal Kevin Coles said he could not comment about the case of a specific student. He said North Dakota High School Activities Association rules say that any student who is caught using alcohol, tobacco or narcotics will be suspended from extracurricular activities.
Fitzpatrick's parents attended the last School Board meeting to appeal the board decision. School Board President Paul Fossum said board members were unanimous when they stuck by the policy.
"We view prom as a privilege," Fossum said. "Just like our activities are privileges. It's a school function."
Charles Fitzpatrick said banning his daughter from the April 3 prom is cruel and unusual punishment. She has been suspended from extracurriculars for 18 weeks, or the rest of the school year.
"She did nothing illegal," Charles Fitzpatrick said. "She's a nice girl, she's a great kid.
"Welcome to Hillsboro," he said. "Set your watch back 500 years."
Fossum said even though Fitzpatrick is legally old enough to smoke, she still must follow school rules.
Fitzpatrick's case is the first time the school policy has prevented someone from attending prom, Coles said.The rule is an effort to encourage students who are not involved in sports or other activities to evaluate their behavior, he said.
"Prior to this rule, a kid who is not out for a sport, music, speech, and they were smoking across the street - there would never be a penalty for them," he said.
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I thought all writers drank to excess and beat their wives. You know one time I secretly wanted to be a writer.---C.K. Dexter Haven
I just caught this one at fark.com, and I have to say it's pretty ridiculous.
Quote:
Health concerns aside, should a public school be able to punish an adult student for doing something completely legal while not on school property?
Absolutely not. She's (legally) an adult, and she didn't smoke on school property. It seems that she didn't even bring her cigarettes with her (I'm sure the school would've made a big deal about that had she done so). Just another knee-jerk reaction from our public education establishment.
For the most part, I applaud the school board for its stance. Drinking and smoking is illegal for minors and the school board is totally justified in not allowing them to participate in extra-curricular activities for doing such things.
However, this girl is 18 and so she is of legal age to smoke. If she were smoking on school grounds, the school board would be completely justified in their decision. But she is of legal smoking age and was not smoking at school, that makes it none of the school board's business. If I were her, I'd hire me an attorney.
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This young lady broke no laws. She is an adult by law and was not on school property.
Now I don't know what the drinking law is in her state but if it is 18 than that part of the school rule also will not stand up to a court challenge.
"The School Board policy suspends students from extracurricular activities for using alcohol, tobacco or narcotics. The Hillsboro School Board includes prom and other dances as extracurricular activities. "
Where is the ACLU when they are needed?????
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Now you have to picture a combination of PeeWEE Herman and Wally Cox but with less muscle tone, trying to be intimidating None of this is funny! Message edited by Cougar Mag -- 1/7/2005 1:16:42 AM >/b]
I wounder how many teachers and school board members use alcohol, tobacco or narcotics off school property? Maby they shouldn't be alowed to particapate in the extracurricular activitie of collecting a paycheck.
Nobody hates cigarettes as much as I do, but if this girl is 18 and old enough to go to Iraq and get her butt blown off, then she sure as heck should have the right to smoke on her own time. It's none of their business what she does off school property.
If she is 18 and off of school property, the principal is wrong! She should sue him and the school board!
I know that smoking is not good for you, but all this political correctness goes way too far!
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If your mother was an abortion proponent, would you be reading this right now?
Some schools make the kids sign something to show that they have read and understand the school rules and will abide by them. If this is the case, then it doesn't matter if she is of legal age or not since it would be a violation of school rules no matter if she is of legal age to smoke or not.
On a side note and I'm not trying to highjack this thread, but I always thought it was just illegal for a minor to buy smokes, not actually smoke them? I've always heard that this is how some school get around the smoking policy of there students by making the parents sign something that says it's ok for thier kids to be smoking
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Caution - Some posts may contain sarcasim
Girl banned from prom for smoking....
