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Zero Tolerance for Zero Tolerance

TimCallahan

Philosopher
T
Joined
Mar 11, 2009
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For a number of years I've subscribed to Randy Cassingham's "This is True", which features all sorts of asinine behavior people indulge in. Most of the time it's funny stuff. However, increasingly, he has featured stories of outrageous actions on the part of school administrators in the pursuit of zero tolerance policies. These include the following:

Zero tolerance for weapons on campus: A girl in grammar school opened her lunch box to find that her mother had included in it a plastic knife with which to spread mayo or mustard or something. Since her school had a zero tolerance policy for knives, she turned it over to the school authorities, They thanked her for her compliance and honesty, then promptly suspended her for bringing a weapon to school.

A kindergarten boy was expelled for kissing a girl, because of the schools zero tolerance policy on sexual behavior.

Zero Tolerance for drugs on campus: A high school honor student was expelled because she was found to have a bottle of Midol in her purse. She was taking Midol for pain etc. she experienced while menstruating.

A valedictorian said the word "hell" in her graduation speech. The principal at her high school revoked her high school diploma. As I recall, this resulted in such an outcry that the school reversed its decision.However, it should never have happened in the first place.

I am outraged by these stories and others like them. I'd opt for the offenders to be stripped naked in public and the families of the kids thus victimized to be allowed to horsewhip them to their heart's content. However, since exercising such an atavistic fantasy would probably not be legal, other ideas occur to me:

If an organization with big bucks could be formed to provide legal counsel to the victims, they could sue the offending officials. Make it public. Make it hurt. Make it a deterrent for like-minded twits.

Take legislative actions to codify and define what weapons, drugs or behavior cross the line to make sure that menstruating teens aren't busted for taking Midol, grammar school kids aren't suspended for finding plastic knives in their lunch boxes, kindergartners aren't labeled sex offenders for kissing, etc. Does anyone have any other ideas?
 
TimCallahan said:
For a number of years I've subscribed to Randy Cassingham's "This is True", which features all sorts of asinine behavior people indulge in. Most of the time it's funny stuff. However, increasingly, he has featured stories of outrageous actions on the part of school administrators in the pursuit of zero tolerance policies. These include the following:
Click to expand...
[citations needed]
 
I am afraid all this happens because schools did not have zero-tolerance policies, and got sued when some student did something seriously bad. Zero-tolerance policies are the ultimate CYA -- they free up school administrators and teachers from using judgment and consequently being blamed/sued. The only way zero-tolerance will end is if school officials feel secure enough to actually use their judgment. Which in turn will only happen if parents agree to defer to the school's authority and not to sue at a drop of a hat.

Dessi -- I do not have links handy, but I recognized every one of the OP's examples. That is, I read about all of them when they happened.
 
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That one with the six year old was because he had been told more than once to leave that girl alone. Her parents had complained about her repeatedly being kissed against her will and he had been given a final warning. Shouldn't that girl be able to go to school without putting up with that crap?

http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/5-more-b.s.-viral-stories-that-all-your-friends-believed/

Read number 4 on that link. It covers why they should have suspended that kid even if it doesn't make as good a story.
 
I don't think that school administrations are the only ones heir to this tendency; it's widespread.
For instance, the TSA...Making headlines recently with the seizure of a tiny toy pistol from a sock-monkey puppet's holster.....

I think this is the result of strict policies implemented (likely with good intent) and then slavishly implemented by front-line employees who are allowed no discretion or initiative whatever.
We see this all the time in police work.."Here is the General Order, read and obey. Period."

The authoritarian, top-down management model.

It's pervasive in human societies.... The asking of "why?" is discouraged.
 
I seem to recall that the one about the midol was that the girl was actually suspended for giving the drug to another student. Which is an entirely different issue from mere possession.
 
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Alferd_Packer said:
I seem to recall that the one about the midol was that the girl was actually suspended for giving the drug to another student. Which is an entirely different issue from mere possession.
Click to expand...

It's almost like the media might sensationalise things to sell papers/ad space!
 
Xulld said:
Why?
Click to expand...

If I may interject ...

Only doctors and/or other medical professionals who have been given the proper training are supposed to give drugs to someone else.

For example, when I was an EMT, the only drug that I could provide was Oxygen. However, the Paramedics were allowed to provide other drugs and the doctors could provide any drug they deemed necessary.

Therefore, it is a serious breach of medical practice for one student to provide another student with drugs (even non-prescription drugs).

I hope this helps.
 
Xulld said:
Why?
Click to expand...

Because this introduces the possibility of harm. The giver is not a caretaker of the other student. People can be allergic to some OTC medications (NSAIDs, for example, which Midol contains). Many OTC medications can interact poorly with other medicines, both OTC and precscription. Or the reciever may have already been given other drugs in the same family at home, so may end up with a higher dose than needed. Quite frankly, it's because children are not authorized to give medical treatment.

Now, that being said, I do think suspension is a bit much, unless this had been an on-going or widespread problem. I would think educating about the dangers, perhaps writing a paper about drug interactions or allergies or something similar as a punishment. I won't comment on this particular case unless I know more of the details, but I can't say I find the logic behind why this shouldn't be allowed to be faulty. Considering some of the things I've seen my children do with OTC medicines, usually due to ignorance, I really don't want ANY health-care decision for my child being made by their classmates...but that's just me ;)
 
Alferd_Packer said:
I seem to recall that the one about the midol was that the girl was actually suspended for giving the drug to another student. Which is an entirely different issue from mere possession.
Click to expand...
There were actually several different Midol stories, in different years. One involved giving Midol to another girl. But even in that case, the stated reason for suspension was possession.
 
Mark6 said:
There were actually several different Midol stories, in different years. One involved giving Midol to another girl. But even in that case, the stated reason for suspension was possession.
Click to expand...

So they were right to suspend her but should have given a different reason to the media?
 
Mark6 said:
There were actually several different Midol stories, in different years. One involved giving Midol to another girl. But even in that case, the stated reason for suspension was possession.
Click to expand...

Primus said:
So they were right to suspend her but should have given a different reason to the media?
Click to expand...

Just to add a bit to this (and I can't speak for anyone else), but our school has a policy about posession of any medications. If the child needs medicines, even OTC meds, they should be brought to the nurse by a paarent along with instructions for use. If the child needs the medicine, they go to the nurse to get it. That's part of their policy, and helps prevent any issues of misuse by the child, as well as making sure the parent knows what the child is taking. It also helps to make sure the medicines are stored properly.
 
In fairness Zero Tolerance is a valid approach in a few areas. Most of which involve nuclear weapons and despite paying well have a hard time finding people to do the work.
 
Hellbound said:
Because this introduces the possibility of harm. The giver is not a caretaker of the other student. People can be allergic to some OTC medications (NSAIDs, for example, which Midol contains). Many OTC medications can interact poorly with other medicines, both OTC and precscription. Or the reciever may have already been given other drugs in the same family at home, so may end up with a higher dose than needed. Quite frankly, it's because children are not authorized to give medical treatment.

Now, that being said, I do think suspension is a bit much, unless this had been an on-going or widespread problem. I would think educating about the dangers, perhaps writing a paper about drug interactions or allergies or something similar as a punishment. I won't comment on this particular case unless I know more of the details, but I can't say I find the logic behind why this shouldn't be allowed to be faulty. Considering some of the things I've seen my children do with OTC medicines, usually due to ignorance, I really don't want ANY health-care decision for my child being made by their classmates...but that's just me ;)
Click to expand...
Ok, sounds good, I just imagine a kid giving another kid an advil and getting suspended seems over the top. (then again I think suspensions for behaviors caused by ignorance a backwards approach for educators, it is a teaching moment and a suspension does not seem to interact with the knowledge needed to understand and avoid these mistakes)

I looked up Midol drug interactions and it does appear to be more reactive than advil, so maybe this is more of a problem.

Learn something new every day.
 
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