If you are in high school and get caught drinking...

[golfgal]

you should be smart enough to realize you are probably going to get punished.

http://www.startribune.com/local/13663951.html

Several students at a local high school were disciplined for having pictures of them drinking on Facebook. First of all, STUPID doesn't cover it, second, if you are going to party and drink realize you have to pay the piper.

Now some parents are considering legal action because the punishment was too harsh, nevermind they are following MN State High School guidelines that have been in place since before I was in high school--so a really long time.

 

[Hercules10]

Instead of parents considering legal action against the school...why don't they go after whomever supplied under-age high schoolers with alcohol?

 

[connorlevismom]

you should be smart enough to realize you are probably going to get punished.

http://www.startribune.com/local/13663951.html

Several students at a local high school were disciplined for having pictures of them drinking on Facebook. First of all, STUPID doesn't cover it, second, if you are going to party and drink realize you have to pay the piper.

Now some parents are considering legal action because the punishment was too harsh, nevermind they are following MN State High School guidelines that have been in place since before I was in high school--so a really long time.

Of course they are! Because their kids could never be at fault for something like drinking underage!

Kristine

 

[malibuconlee]

Two years after I graduated our girls varsity basketball team made it to the state tournament. Shortly before the tournament began most of the girls on the team were busted drinking at a party. The school was forced to send the JV team in their place with the 2 seniors that weren't at the party (I think they had to work that night). Needless to say they were quickly eliminated.

So many people put things onto their Facebook or Myspace pages not realizing who is looking at them or what the consequences may be.

 

[Camicar]

But if you are a football player on a team in the state finals, nothing happens to you at all.

Happened around here last fall. The entire football team and cheerleaders were found by a farmer in his barn, all drunk as skunks, after a game. He called the cops, etc. This was in clear violation of school policy, which mandated that they were all to be kicked off the team. They went on to play in the state finals. No consequences whatsoever.

 

[connorlevismom]

I was on the Danceline in HS. The rule was no smoking or drinking. I remember one day 2 girls walking in and my coach saying "turn in your uniforms, you done" because they had been caught doing both at a party over the weekend. And that was that. Even back then I was so happy that someone actually enforced the rules we had.

Kristine

 

[DizBelle]

I would think that the school can only discipline for misbehavior on school property or at a school function.

Also, I don't think the picture can serve as evidence of anything. A kid was photographed holding a glass or a cup and they're drinking alcohol? How do they know what was in the cup? Even if there is a picture of a bottle with a label indicating alcohol doesn't mean that is what was in the bottle.

 

[storzo]

I would think that the school can only discipline for misbehavior on school property or at a school function.

Also, I don't think the picture can serve as evidence of anything. A kid was photographed holding a glass or a cup and they're drinking alcohol? How do they know what was in the cup? Even if there is a picture of a bottle with a label indicating alcohol doesn't mean that is what was in the bottle.

I agree.

 

[briar_rose_59]

I agree.

Me too.

 

[Faerie]

I'm not condoning underage drinking but where does the school get off punishing kids for something that happened off school property, not during school hours. It's none of their business. It's up to the parents to do the disciplining in this case IMHO.

 

[Tiggeroo]

I personally think the school overstepped its bounds by punishing kids for pics on a website. What is the school principal doing, checking facebook for students accounts and finding things to punish them for. If the situation inadvertantly came to the school's attention it should have forwarded the info to parents who should have done the appropriate thing.
The only gray area perhaps is with athletes who sign a non-alcohol pledge and know the consequences of drinking anywhere anytime.
I personally don''t see why a school is involved in behavior off campus during off times. If anything that's a police matter and even they would say they lack evidence here.

 

[Todd&Copper]

How do you know the kids were actually drinking the alcohol? I know there were quite a few times in college when I held a beer for hours without actually drinking anything from the can (granted, I was already drunk and probably couldn't handle any more w/o blowing chiunks but didn't want to look "thirsty"). Without a breathalyzer or a blood alcohol test, how do they know who was actually drinking and who was just taking inappropriate [or funny, depending on your perspective, I suppose] pictures.
[I am not saying I believe for a minute that most of these kids weren't drinking, but I am not sure the photos are proof enough.]

 

[Shutterbug]

I think I have heard in the past that many schools have instituted a "student code of conduct" where students of that school have to follow guidlines that even covers things OFF school property.

 

[LisaNJ25]

If it didn't take place at the school or at a school function the school should not get involved.

 

[Tiggeroo]

I think I have heard in the past that many schools have instituted a "student code of conduct" where students of that school have to follow guidlines that even covers things OFF school property.

This doesn't seem like an appropriate code for a public school where the child doesn't have a choice about where they go. The only appropriate thing here involves criminal behavior. If you are prosecuted criminally then the school has proof and it's a level playing field. Otherwise you get into the area of he said she said. Kids get mad at each other and forward a pic to the principal. Not a good atmosphere to set. Why was everybody up in arms over the fed. gov. doing phone taps and checking your video and book choices but they are not upset over this.
Again as others have said, kids lie and fake things all the time. When I was in hs I would go to a party where drinking was taking place and hold a beer I didn't like or drink. Stupid but I wanted to fit in. Kids exaggerate alot of bad behavior to look cool.
However, every school should have an assembly with area businesses and law enforcement explaining the negative repercussions of posting photos online. They could explain how it may hurt their employment chances in certain fields.

 

[luv2laugh]

That is utterly ridiculous! I don't think the school over stepped its boundaries at all. Most school sports and activities have guidelines that you have to agree to in order to be on the teams. These include the whole "no drinking or doing drugs" during of after school.

I don't understand what the problem is Alcohol would effect their ability on the team and is unfair to the other kids. The teens must have known the rules and I can't imagine why the parents are upset at the school for taking a stand. What kind of message is that sending to their kids???

 

[Tiggeroo]

The problem is about overstepping of boundaries. In a perfect world the parents would step in and punish their own kids. They'd remove the kids from sports because they violated home rules and their contract. This way the school is being police like checking to see what kids are doing on their own time.

 

[RitaZ.]

you should be smart enough to realize you are probably going to get punished.

http://www.startribune.com/local/13663951.html

Several students at a local high school were disciplined for having pictures of them drinking on Facebook. First of all, STUPID doesn't cover it, second, if you are going to party and drink realize you have to pay the piper.

Now some parents are considering legal action because the punishment was too harsh, nevermind they are following MN State High School guidelines that have been in place since before I was in high school--so a really long time.

Many parents complain that schools have taken on responsibilities that belong to them. Well, this is the one of the reasons why. Some parents aren't doing their job! Instead of teaching their kids a lesson here, they're threatening legal action. Please!!! It's clear that the schools have to set boundaries for their students. Mom and dad are simply too busy defending their offspring's stupid behavior.

Yes, as others have said, these guidelines are probably part of the district's code of conduct.

 

[mamacatnv]

My DS is a High School athlete and signed a behavior contract as a Freshman and every year thereafter. I have no issue with this whatsoever. As an athlete he is held to a higher standard and until recently could be reprimanded or suspended from participation for just being "associated" with alcohol, drugs or tobacco. Thus, he knew where the drinking was going to be and he stayed away.

Our school district clarified the policy this past summer by stating that the kids had to either be charged by law enforcement or self admit. Hearsay, pictures, rumors etc. were not proof of contract violation and thus the policy was amended. It was getting out of hand and when just a rumor could bench an athlete the district took a closer look at how they defined the state policy and adjusted themselves accordingly.

Our State does enforce it - Just ask the Vegas team a few years back who knowingly continued to play a player that was in voilation and thus they forfeited the majority of their season which affected state level outcomes. Or my DS's starting QB the week before playoffs who was tossed off the team by the coach after getting popped with a violation.

I personally do not believe it is the schools responsibility to be monitoring the general population of students off campus and on the outside this article sounds like the school overstepped their bounds

 

[Mkrop]

Back 20 years ago in HS we were smart enough not to take pictures.

But I did throw a party when my parents were out of town, a football player who was know for trashing houses tried to come in my house I wouldnt let him. So he called the cops we got busted.

In the little local paper they wrote me up as the ABD High School girl who live on the 300 block of XYZ street. Well it didnt take long for the school to figure out that it was me, and bc they paper couldnt print my name since I was underage, they chose to identify me with the school, this is what I was in trouble for bringing shame to the school, I was told. They theraten to have me kicked out of National Honor Society.

It was a dumb thing to do but I was already being punished by the police, I had to pay a hefty fine and attend underage drinking classes. Then the asst prinicpal threatened me with expelling me and kicking me out of NHS etc. I then got sent down to the Discipline Office where this guy (who is now President of the school) laughed bc I had never had a detention in all 4 years and I was "smart girl who made a very dumb decision" I think he actually felt sorry for me bc he was dealing with the complaints of the other houses that had been trashed. Those parents were calling the school about these A$$hole football players. He told me he had give me some sort of punishment but he was not kicking me out of anything, instead he gave me 20 days and 4Sat detentions.

ETA the football players who were trashing houses were never "caught" although everyone knew who they were and no punishment was EVER. They destroyed some of these homes it was awful.

Karma does have a way of working out, the football player I refered to got the snot beat out of him at a bar years later bc he started a fight. He was arrested.