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

[castleview]

Yes they should
The drugs are in the school it is absolutely their business.
They should contact the police , and they and the police should punish the kids as is fit..Again they are not the ones inforcing the law, they are turning it over to the authorities.

The police will do their thing. Hopefully, the parents will do their thing. But IMHO, the school should be able to do their thing.

 

[Abbie]

No, actually it isn't awful at all. The whole point is these students (all of whom were involved in activities subject to these rules and had SIGNED a form stating they would not use drugs or alcohol) got caught drinking or at least being at a party where alcohol was served. Moral of the story, don't go to a party where alcohol is present and you won't have anything to worry about.

ALL of these kids KNEW they weren’t supposed to be at a party with alcohol and they CHOSE to do so. The point pretty much everyone here is missing is that the kids didn't have to be at the party in the first place. They made a stupid choice and are now paying the consequences.

I haven't read the entire thread and apologize if I'm repeating someone else, but I agree with this. Our high school has the same explicit rules to play any sport with regard to alcohol possession/consumption. If you want to play, you sign. In addition, there is also a "guilt by association" rule which each player agrees to. I'm not sure I'm completely on board with that but I have to say it kept my two older girls out of trouble! They were very aware of the rule, saw it enforced more than once, and never chose to attend parties or gatherings that had the potential for drinking/drugs/whatever. They just never wanted to jeopardize their sports activity. I'm hoping my 14 yr. old will feel the same!

I don't know if there is any correlation but my 22 yr. old chose to not drink in college, and her 18 yr. old sister has so far made the same choice. I think they understood all too well the consequences that could be involved with making certain choices.

 

[mamacatnv]

So if a student has drugs in school, should officials look the other way and not call the police?

When it is not a school function, on school grounds, a school sanctioned event or school related it is none of the schools business it is up to law enforcement to enforce the law. If while law enforcement is doing its job kids are busted for violating conduct policies then it is up to law enforcement to inform the school, not some kid cruising the internet who made a CD of "alleged" illegal activity and turned it into authorities.

Our district has its own police force who have authority on school grounds and at all activites, even their arm of law enforcement only goes so far and into someone's living room is beyond their jurisdiction, that is where the local city/county law enforcement come into play.

 

[Tiggeroo]

it's my discomfort of violating rights that bothers me with this. It's a slippery slope and if allowed here it will go further. Do you want it to be your rights next? For ex. talking on a cell phone while driving is illegal. If the police catch you there will be a punishment. But do you want cameras in your car to see if you are doing this? Do you want devices on cars that notify police of speeders?

 

[jrmasm]

No, actually it isn't awful at all. The whole point is these students (all of whom were involved in activities subject to these rules and had SIGNED a form stating they would not use drugs or alcohol) got caught drinking or at least being at a party where alcohol was served. Moral of the story, don't go to a party where alcohol is present and you won't have anything to worry about.

ALL of these kids KNEW they weren’t supposed to be at a party with alcohol and they CHOSE to do so. The point pretty much everyone here is missing is that the kids didn't have to be at the party in the first place. They made a stupid choice and are now paying the consequences.

Um yes, yes it is awful.

 

[jrmasm]

The police will do their thing. Hopefully, the parents will do their thing. But IMHO, the school should be able to do their thing.

They should. Their 'thing' is monitor students during school hours and at school functions. Period.

 

[mamacatnv]

They should. Their 'thing' is monitor students during school hours and at school functions. Period.

ITA

 

[basas]

No, actually it isn't awful at all. The whole point is these students (all of whom were involved in activities subject to these rules and had SIGNED a form stating they would not use drugs or alcohol) got caught drinking or at least being at a party where alcohol was served. Moral of the story, don't go to a party where alcohol is present and you won't have anything to worry about.

ALL of these kids KNEW they weren’t supposed to be at a party with alcohol and they CHOSE to do so. The point pretty much everyone here is missing is that the kids didn't have to be at the party in the first place. They made a stupid choice and are now paying the consequences.

Completely agree. It appears though that many here see breaking the law as "no big deal" and would rather the behavior continue instead of someone getting involved and handing out consequences.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

I am amazed at the responses on this thread. Basically, if kids are sneaky enough to drink, drink and drive, etc. without getting caught by the police, then several posters think that is fine and dandy.

We told our kids that, if they chose to drink, the punishment they received at school and/or by law enforcement would be NOTHING compared to what they would be dealt at home. So, the law can "miss" them, the school can look the other way, and we would make sure they were punished accordingly... which means no sports. We have a senior and a sophomore.... and they have yet to test us.

Too many parents don't enforce any rules these days... which IMO has forced the hand of the public schools to try to take up the slack.

 

[jrmasm]

Completely agree. It appears though that many here see breaking the law as "no big deal" and would rather the behavior continue instead of someone getting involved and handing out consequences.

Please don't put words in my mouth. I never said this was no big deal. I think underage drinking and illegal drug use are a HUGE deal.

I still maintain that unless it happens during school hours or at a school function, it is not under the school's jursidiction.

 

[mamacatnv]

Completely agree. It appears though that many here see breaking the law as "no big deal" and would rather the behavior continue instead of someone getting involved and handing out consequences.

I don't think that is what is being said at all.
I think we can all agree that underage drinking is a big deal. The majority of us stated such in our various posts. However, the issue is not so much about the kids breaking the law it is about whether or not the school has the authority to dole out punishment for something that was not school related.

 

[basas]

Please don't put words in my mouth. I never said this was no big deal. I think underage drinking and illegal drug use are a HUGE deal.

I still maintain that unless it happens during school hours or at a school function, it is not under the school's jursidiction.

You did not say it was "no big deal", but someone else (see page 2) did. If these kids are representing the school on a sports team, they definently should have the right to monitor their behavior. Playing for a school team (and I help coach one) is a priviledge, not a right.

 

[JennyMominRI]

You did not say it was "no big deal", but someone else (see page 2) did. If these kids are representing the school on a sports team, they definently should have the right to monitor their behavior. Playing for a school team (and I help coach one) is a priviledge, not a right.

Just to be clear, I did state an exception for kids in sports..That would include kids in PS too.
Frankly, if the kids are breaking the law than the school should notify the police..

If kids are breaking any laws and the school does not notify the police, aren't the schools themselves violating the law?

 

[pigletliz]

it's my discomfort of violating rights that bothers me with this. It's a slippery slope and if allowed here it will go further. Do you want it to be your rights next? QUOTE]

I am another person with a relative who died at the hands of a teenaged drunk driver and a classmate who died over the summer of our senior year driving with an intoxicated driver. The rights of these kids were not violated. They posted their own pictures on a website. Actions have consequences. Our kids are told at the beginning of each year about the code of conduct. Both the students and the parents are required to sign, so that there is no misunderstanding. If you don't sign, you don't participate. I sincerely doubt if this was something the school was happy about doing, but once someone identifies a group from a school, they let the school know. If they don't do something, people blame the school for not making an example or educating the kids on drinking. They are in a no-win situation, but better than having to call in grief counselors. I'm sure they are not bad kids, but doesn't change the fact that they need to be held accountable.

 

[basas]

Just to be clear, I did state an exception for kids in sports..That would include kids in PS too.
Frankly, if the kids are breaking the law than the school should notify the police..

If kids are breaking any laws and the school does not notify the police, aren't the schools themselves violating the law?

Did it say in the Star-Tribune article whether the police were notified? From what I read, the kids who were involved were not suspended from academic classes, but rather were banned from participating in sporting activities or other such events where they would be representing the school. This, I feel, is completely appropriate. The kids knew the risks they were taking and now must deal with the consequences of their actions.

 

[mamacatnv]

I am amazed at the responses on this thread. Basically, if kids are sneaky enough to drink, drink and drive, etc. without getting caught by the police, then several posters think that is fine and dandy.

Whoa, back up the bus and read this thread thoroughly

We told our kids that, if they chose to drink, the punishment they received at school and/or by law enforcement would be NOTHING compared to what they would be dealt at home. So, the law can "miss" them, the school can look the other way, and we would make sure they were punished accordingly... which means no sports. We have a senior and a sophomore.... and they have yet to test us.

So, if a fellow teen showed up on your doorstep with a cd with pictures of your teenager holding a red cup it is my understanding from your post that all heck would break loose towards your teens.....................

Too many parents don't enforce any rules these days... which IMO has forced the hand of the public schools to try to take up the slack.

I agree that parents don't always enforce rules but that does not then make parenting and law enforcement the job of the public school system.

 

[Rence]

Article in the local paper today.

17 year old girl, killed by a drunk driver - another 17 year old girl.

Heaven forbid if schools stepped in to try to stop teenage drinking.

 

[mamacatnv]

Article in the local paper today.

17 year old girl, killed by a drunk driver - another 17 year old girl.

Heaven forbid if schools stepped in to try to stop teenage drinking.

Tragic, sad, stupid event. No matter how much we say, how much we educate and how we try to regulate, kids do stupid things, sometimes with tragic results.

 

[smartestnumber5]

How are people getting from "pictures on facebook indicate teens were probably drinking" to "drinking and driving"? I was just on another thread a few days ago about a 19 year old who was thought to be drinking and everyone was talking about drinking and driving.

Why is everyone assuming that drinking under age 21 = driving while drunk? And why doesn't anyone seem to put together drinking while over 21 with driving while drunk?

I just found this information on MADD's website:

In 2002, 2.3% of Americans 18 and older surveyed reported alcohol-impaired driving, including 3% of 18-20 year olds and 4.1% of 21-34 year olds

That would seem to indicate that those of legal drinking age up into the mid 30s are more likely than older teens to drink and drive. So why is it that when a 30 year old DISers talk about going out for drinks other DISers simply post the drinking smily, but when an 18 year old is said to be drinking right away drunk driving is brought up?

In my experience, the people I see taking risks when it comes to drinking and driving tend to be older adults. I had friends who drank in high school, but none of them (as far as I know) ever drove afterwards; they specifically arranged to be drinking at the home where they would be spending the night. I didn't drink in high school, but did drink long before I was 21 as did almost everyone I knew in college. Since it was a residential college there was really no need to drive anywhere. "Home" was never more than a 10 minute walk away. I suspect per capita drunk driving rates for residential college students (while they are at school at least) are much lower than they are for the general population just as I suspect there are lower per capita rates in cities with fantastic public transportation.

My 55 year old father will go to a wedding and down five or six drinks in the first hour and a half and then leave after three hours. Is he within the legal limit for driving? I don't know and neither does he. A similarly aged friend of his was recently arrested for a DUI. The friend came to visit my dad and told him the story about getting arrested well downing numerous glasses of wine. Then, after clearing having had enough to drink to be over the legal limit he got in his car and drove home! (My mother did yell at my father for letting him go and my father's excuse was "Well what was I supposed to do? It's not like I could drive him since I was drinking too" )

Another distant relative is in his 80s and has just in the past few months been involved in 3 traffic accidents after he'd been drinking. The first two accidents didn't involve any other people, but the third one involved him going over the median and hitting another car. He was not hurt and luckily the other driver was sent to the ER but checked out fine. Amazingly, he was not charged with a DUI or even asked by the police if he had been drinking.

Of course this is anecdotal, but I think that these cases are a result of the tendency for people to associate young people with drunk driving; the corollary to that association is that older people are thought NOT to be associated with drunk driving. Apparently the police found it inconceivable that a man in his 80s could be driving drunk and so my relative retained his license after the accident. My father insists his method of essentially binge drinking for an hour and a half and then drinking nothing for the next two hours leaves him perfectly fine to drive; after all, he'll say, I've been drinking for almost 40 years, I know my limits by now. Of course, he doesn't mean by that he knows how much alcohol he can have before he reaches the legal limit, but rather that he "knows" how much he can have before he reaches some limit he has determined for himself which is surely above the legal limit. But, you know, he's 55 and it's only teenagers and college students who drive drunk, so there's no need to worry about him.

Drinking and drinking and driving are two very different things. (Though, even if it could be shown without a doubt that a student was drinking and driving, I still don't think that should have any bearing on what goes on in school/school activities.) We all recognize that when it comes to people over age 21, so why when it comes to those under 21 is it assumed that they are one in the same?

 

[golfgal]

Please don't put words in my mouth. I never said this was no big deal. I think underage drinking and illegal drug use are a HUGE deal.

I still maintain that unless it happens during school hours or at a school function, it is not under the school's jursidiction.

Did you miss the point where the kids SIGNED a waiver stating they would not drink AT ALL, ANYWHERE that is STATE OF MINNESOTA POLICY for all students that participate in ANY ACTIVITY. The schools were enforcing state policy, as they are directed to do. It doesn't matter if there were police involved or not. If another parent reports that they caught whatever kids at their house drinking the school can suspend them from activities too. They will investigate but they can get suspended from sports for anyone reporting them if the reports are found to be true.