Zero Tolerance Expulsion At Bonner Springs High School

Denise's story is very well written and she makes so much sense! It is a shame that her intellect seems to have gone right over the heads of the Bonner Springs School District Officials. Some day those pathetic beings will regret what they are doing to kids. Unfortunately for them it may not be until they are knocking on the pearly gates and are told that sorry, we have Zero Tolerance for your kind!

Denise's Story:

I am writing on behalf of my son and students rights. I am a parent of a Bonner Springs High School Senior who got in trouble for the first time in October. What I have learned these last few weeks has shocked me to a point that I have promised myself I will not stop until changes have been made. You see I also have a one year old that will be entering the school system in the next few years.

I am embarrassed to say I did not know what the policies, punishments and my son's rights were. He had never been in trouble and I hoped he never would be, so like most parents I thought swift strict punishment was not a concern to me, it sounded good.

Now keep in mind we are talking about children who can and will make mistakes. I have found out that these children have fewer rights than an adult who knows better. I wonder why?

Now I will tell you our story. On October 9, 2000 my son smelled of marijuana. He was pulled from class, looked at by a school nurse, a female Vice-Principal patted his pockets and stomach, and a male Assistant Vice-Principal patted his private areas. At this point they had not found anything. Now the school searched his car with no representation for my son. They found a ¼ "roach". At this point my son was asked if he had smoked marijuana he was told things would be better for him if he told the truth. My son believed them, what he did not know is it did not matter what he said the punishment would be the same and he should of said nothing. The police and I were called; when I arrived they did a test on the "roach" and found it to be marijuana. The police officer said it was "no big deal" and only gave my son a ticket for cigarettes.

My son was suspended for ten days and recommended for 186-day expulsion, which would require a hearing in ten days. During the next few days I tried to learn as much as I could about my son's rights. It did not take much reading, he has NONE. I contacted a attorney and was told for $500.00 he could attend the expulsion meeting so we could appeal any decision made, but he had never seen anyone who was allowed to go back to school and the appeal process would keep him out of school for at least 30 days.

I only had a few days to decide what to do about my son's future. I came up with the idea of pulling him from school and sending him to a alternative school thinking this would make everyone happy and my son could get his High School diploma and not have a expulsion on his record. I was wrong. I as the parent could not make this decision the High School would not allow him in the alternative school. When we asked the Superintendent why the answer was, "we were deprived our punishment".

So now we were forced to attend an expulsion hearing. We went assuming that the panel would be made up of an impartial third party with no interest for either side. Wrong again, the committee was people that worked for the school that knew my son and whose boss was the Superintendent. Of course only one decision could be given and that was a 186-day expulsion. (Remember my son cooperated and was told things would go easy on him). By the way the Superintendent did not even bother showing up. Later that day I emailed him and reminded him that the ACLU states that the committee needed to be impartial and asked why it was not, of course I did not get a response. They only answer the questions they want to, if the answer will not benefit the school they do not reply.

Now my son is officially expelled for 186 days, he is in the alternative school and doing OK. Even though not once did anyone ask if he was OK or did they ask if he needed help and suggest counseling. None of this was offered. Only punishment no help.

Now I am going to ask you if your child was treated this way at his job, the movies, or the bowling alley how would you react? Why do children have NO rights in school and why are they expected to act better than an adult and never make a mistake.

I am tired of hearing the reason is that every child has a right to attend school in a drug and violent free school. We all have a right to live in a country free of the same, but that has never given us the right to deny someone their rights. Why would we agree to give our children fewer rights than an adult or a criminal?

I could not understand until now why children were acting out in school and having so many problems. They have no rights and no say, and from our history lessons we have learned that when we take a certain group of people and take away their rights that have been given to them in the Constitution it has detrimental consequences. This is what we have done to our children and no one cares.

My son was lucky he could have been stripped searched, in school by a male teacher with no experience in strip-searching. Again we have allowed this to happen to our children.

What upsets me the most is no one cares; we are treated less than human. Since my son smoked marijuana we are bad and we have no rights nor can we voice our opinion. I even contacted the ACLU, because a couple of weeks prior to my son getting in trouble the girls volleyball team had been caught very drunk on school property. They got a three-day suspension. The ACLU told me in so many words my son should not of made a mistake, live with it. The State Board of Education will not get involved because each school is responsible for their own policy. I am sending this to the Governor, Congress, Senate and President, but all I will get back is a form letter stating it is not our concern it is the Schools.

I do not want to solve this in just one school district I want to make changes in all schools, because this is so very wrong. When I asked the School if my son had been told what his rights were they told me it was not their responsibility to teach my son his rights!!

In conclusion, I believe that students should be given back their rights. We might be surprised at the results. I also believe that someone should inform the students of their rights and explain to the punishment process. Someone other than a member of the school system should do this. I believe that a parent should be called the minute a child is in trouble and nothing done to the child until a parent of guardian is present. Also if a school is going to act like police officers they should have proper training and they should read the child their rights before they continue with questioning and searching.

I am not asking for too much just a little common sense. Treat them like respected citizens and they might act like respectful citizens in return.

Denise

April 2, 2000 Update:

The following is the out come of the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) investigation.

My story gets even better, I requested that the OCR look into my sons case because the girls volleyball team had been caught drunk at the "Powder Puff" football game. They even admitted to me that they were drunk at my sons expulsion hearing, but I was told that they had a reason for being drunk and that is why they only got a three day suspension. Now the good stuff. When the OCR started investigating my claims suddenly the girls were never drunk, never had a three day suspension and that there was no proof drinking was involved. They removed all of this from the girls records so they would not get into trouble. How do you fight something like this? I don't understand why the school will no longer allow Powder Puff football games if the girls were not drunk? Also if they would of expelled all the girls like the school policy states they would not of had a girls volleyball team. What a lesson this has taught my son. If you are white, rich, and have connections with the school you get to break the rules. Being Hispanic, poor and no connections to the school you get expelled. I really can not believe that they removed all of this from these girls records to stay out of trouble. My only comfort is, they had broken the rules if they need to cover up.