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Student Suspended for Call to Mom in Iraq

C

conjur

No Lifer
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050506/ap_on_re_us/mom_s_call_suspension_1
COLUMBUS, Ga. - A high school student was suspended for 10 days for refusing to end a mobile phone call with his mother, a soldier serving in Iraq, school officials said.

The 10-day suspension was issued because Kevin Francois was "defiant and disorderly" and was imposed in lieu of an arrest, Spencer High School assistant principal Alfred Parham said.

The confrontation Wednesday began after the 17-year-old junior got a call at lunchtime from his mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, who left in January for a one-year tour with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion.

Mobile phones are allowed on campus but may not be used during school hours. When a teacher told him to hang up, he refused. He said he told the teacher, "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."

Parham said the teen's suspension was based on his reaction to the teacher's request. He said the teen used profanity when taken to the office.

"Kevin got defiant and disorderly," Parham said. "When a kid becomes out of control like that they can either be arrested or suspended for 10 days. Now being that his mother is in Iraq, we're not trying to cause her any undue hardship; he was suspended for 10 days."
Click to expand...
OMG! He used....profanity??? Heavens to Betsy!!

Perhaps if the teacher had actually, oh, I don't know, offered up well wishes to the boy's mom and encouraged him to hang up as soon as possible since it was against school rules. Something tells me the teacher was playing a bit of Johnny Law.
 
They should suspend the teacher who still insisted the kid hang up even after he was told who was on the other end.

And the bureaucrat who suspended the kid too.

 
Like I said in OT. Good. "Mr. Special" isn't. Lots of people are in this situation, and years before kids and parents had no way to know who was dead and still alive, yet we managed.

10 days is harsh, but it's the rules. Someone can bitch and moan and change them, but that's how it is for now.
 
Before I bitch and moan, I'd like to see what actually happened. People are going to think it went down anywhere from this:

Teacher: "Get off your cell phone, son"
Student: "But, please, sir, it's my mother, who is in Iraq."
Teacher: "Arrgh! Iraq is a horrible war and I hate Bush!"
Student: "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."
Teacher: "That's it, go to the office"
Student: *falls on knees and cries* "I just want to talk to my [censored] mom!"
Teacher: "Suspension!"

to this:

Teacher: "Excuse me, young man, can you please refrain from using your phone duing school hours"
Student: "Screw you, this is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."
Teacher: "I'm sorry, but the rules don't allow an exception for that. You can talk after hours."
Student: "You [insert stream of curse words here]"
Teacher: "Okay, I'm going to have to suspend you now."

When, in fact, something in the middle probably occurred. Sorry, but I can't judge on so little information.
 
Originally posted by: staeiou
Before I bitch and moan, I'd like to see what actually happened. People are going to think it went down anywhere from this:

Teacher: "Get off your cell phone, son"
Student: "But, please, sir, it's my mother, who is in Iraq."
Teacher: "Arrgh! Iraq is a horrible war and I hate Bush!"
Student: "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."
Teacher: "That's it, go to the office"
Student: *falls on knees and cries* "I just want to talk to my [censored] mom!"
Teacher: "Suspension!"

to this:

Teacher: "Excuse me, young man, can you please refrain from using your phone duing school hours"
Student: "Screw you, this is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."
Teacher: "I'm sorry, but the rules don't allow an exception for that. You can talk after hours."
Student: "You [insert stream of curse words here]"
Teacher: "Okay, I'm going to have to suspend you now."

When, in fact, something in the middle probably occurred. Sorry, but I can't judge on so little information.
Click to expand...

anywhere along the whole spectrum is possible....
 
Originally posted by: conjur
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050506/ap_on_re_us/mom_s_call_suspension_1
COLUMBUS, Ga. - A high school student was suspended for 10 days for refusing to end a mobile phone call with his mother, a soldier serving in Iraq, school officials said.

The 10-day suspension was issued because Kevin Francois was "defiant and disorderly" and was imposed in lieu of an arrest, Spencer High School assistant principal Alfred Parham said.

The confrontation Wednesday began after the 17-year-old junior got a call at lunchtime from his mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, who left in January for a one-year tour with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion.

Mobile phones are allowed on campus but may not be used during school hours. When a teacher told him to hang up, he refused. He said he told the teacher, "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."

Parham said the teen's suspension was based on his reaction to the teacher's request. He said the teen used profanity when taken to the office.

"Kevin got defiant and disorderly," Parham said. "When a kid becomes out of control like that they can either be arrested or suspended for 10 days. Now being that his mother is in Iraq, we're not trying to cause her any undue hardship; he was suspended for 10 days."
Click to expand...
OMG! He used....profanity??? Heavens to Betsy!!

Perhaps if the teacher had actually, oh, I don't know, offered up well wishes to the boy's mom and encouraged him to hang up as soon as possible since it was against school rules. Something tells me the teacher was playing a bit of Johnny Law.
Click to expand...

Does is the lunch hour considered a school hour? He shouldn't have been on the phone if so.
 
Rules are rules. While I feel for the child, if phones are not to be on during the school day, they should not be on.

He was breaking rules before the phone call ever commenced.
 
Time for some cases of toilet paper and spray paint... robots could do a better job with discipline than some of the fruits they put in charge at schools.
 
He was breaking rules, but I think a certain leeway should be allowed for an important call such as this. Unless the student was blantantly defiant, beyond justification, punishment should be reduced or not given in the first place.
 
Originally posted by: ntdz
This whole story disgusts me. The student should've been allowed to talk to his mother.
Click to expand...

:shocked: Sometimes I get shocked by the usual rabid P&N posters.

Looks like a soft spot eh ntdz? :thumbsup:

 
Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Originally posted by: ntdz
This whole story disgusts me. The student should've been allowed to talk to his mother.
Click to expand...

:shocked: Sometimes I get shocked by the usual rabid P&N posters.

Looks like a soft spot eh ntdz? :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Exactly, I'm surprised by not only the OP's take, but also "Bbond's" post. There seems to be some hope left in this world! :thumbsup:

As some have stated, he broke the rules but anytime a "teacher" tries to grab or take away a personal item there can be problems. The teacher should have handled the situation better regardless of how the kid was acting. If the kid really was belligerent then the teacher should have gotten the Admin involved at that point - not take it upon themselves to deal directly with the student(unless that "teacher" was directly responsible for the whereabouts of that kid during the lunch hour).

Meh - IMO the kid should have been able to talk to his mother, but should have cleared it with the school in light of the cell phone rule. However, giving the kid a suspension will not solve anything.

CsG
 
a rule's a rule.

What if every kid talking on a cell phone gives that excuse?

she shoulda called him before or after school.
 
Originally posted by: Defkhan1
a rule's a rule.

What if every kid talking on a cell phone gives that excuse?

she shoulda called him before or after school.
Click to expand...

time lag, plus heavy duty schedules over there, you may get a 30 min window i na a whole day to get to a MWR which has a phone over there.....

rule is a rule, but the teacher should be understanding,. and 10 days is a lot....

hard to say, less punishment most likely,
 
Originally posted by: Defkhan1
a rule's a rule.

What if every kid talking on a cell phone gives that excuse?

she shoulda called him before or after school.
Click to expand...

It should be easy to verify the story and look the other way when there are extenuating circumstances - however, any "exceptions" should be closely monitored to ward off abuse.

:roll: for your "zero tolerance" type stance.

CsG
 
10 days may be too extreme, but maybe when he "refused" to hang up, he got out of hand?
Did he push the teacher or use profanity?
They never report the whole story on these things.
 
Originally posted by: Defkhan1
10 days may be too extreme, but maybe when he "refused" to hang up, he got out of hand?
Did he push the teacher or use profanity?
They never report the whole story on these things.
Click to expand...

profanity... big deal...
 
Originally posted by: conjur
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050506/ap_on_re_us/mom_s_call_suspension_1
COLUMBUS, Ga. - A high school student was suspended for 10 days for refusing to end a mobile phone call with his mother, a soldier serving in Iraq, school officials said.

The 10-day suspension was issued because Kevin Francois was "defiant and disorderly" and was imposed in lieu of an arrest, Spencer High School assistant principal Alfred Parham said.

The confrontation Wednesday began after the 17-year-old junior got a call at lunchtime from his mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, who left in January for a one-year tour with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion.

Mobile phones are allowed on campus but may not be used during school hours. When a teacher told him to hang up, he refused. He said he told the teacher, "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."

Parham said the teen's suspension was based on his reaction to the teacher's request. He said the teen used profanity when taken to the office.

"Kevin got defiant and disorderly," Parham said. "When a kid becomes out of control like that they can either be arrested or suspended for 10 days. Now being that his mother is in Iraq, we're not trying to cause her any undue hardship; he was suspended for 10 days."
Click to expand...
OMG! He used....profanity??? Heavens to Betsy!!

Perhaps if the teacher had actually, oh, I don't know, offered up well wishes to the boy's mom and encouraged him to hang up as soon as possible since it was against school rules. Something tells me the teacher was playing a bit of Johnny Law.
Click to expand...

Bad things happen when you don't follow the rules. Better learn it school than in real life when the consequences are more severe.
 
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