stupid school rules

[korzmom]

To make a long story short, my DD17 a junior in high school got suspended for 1 day because she had a lactaid tablet in her purse. she is lactose intolerant and they make you drink the milk with their crap school lunches and even though she doesnt always eat lunch she had a lactaid this day. according to school rules anyone found with any over the counter or prescription drugs is against school policy.. they did a search on everyone that day because of recent bomb threats and i dont know if that is totally legal to check everyones personal belongings...just makes me so mad because DD is not a trouble maker and makes decent grades and now she has this on her school record! my S-I-L who is a pharmacist tells me that lactaids arent considered drugs they are a supliment....just wanted to vent here on the dis.

 

[Beth76]

Well, I agree that is kind of a dumb rule. But it is a rule and she broke it. One-day suspension seems steep though. I wonder if you could fight it since your SIL is saying that it's not a drug. Maybe you found a loop-hole. Does the school have a policy that you can send OTC drugs with students if they have a note from you or a doctor?

 

[snowball22]

Hugs. I am so sorry.

 

[tiggersmom2]

That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard! Your SIL is right....Lactaid is NOT a drug and your daughter broke no rule. I would definitely fight this.

ETA: here is the Lactaid website that EXPLAINS that Lactaid is a dietary supplement..http://www.lactaid.com/lactose/index.jhtml?id=lactaid/lactose/facts.inc

 

[monarchsfan16]

They actually searched her purse? Anytime I've heard of searches due to bomb threats they searched lockers, not actual personal possession.
As for having Lactaid, at my school I believe we can have medication and such on us, if we have a waiver thing from the nurse. Most people I know sneak it but, I believe that's the rule. You may want to check into that, to save you from future problems. Unfortunately the school always thinks they're right, so it's not likely you can win. That's not right though. A suspension does seem awful steep.

 

[CajunDixie]

I'd print out the info from the site above and present it to the school and demand they apologize to your DD and not serve her with a suspension. Then I'd would get your family doctor to write a letter stating that she is lactose intolerant and the school is ordered to either not serve her milk or let her take the "supplement." Think of the legal grounds if a student was allergic to peanuts and the school demanded they eat peanut butter.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard! Your SIL is right....Lactaid is NOT a drug and your daughter broke no rule. I would definitely fight this.

ETA: here is the Lactaid website that EXPLAINS that Lactaid is a dietary supplement..http://www.lactaid.com/lactose/index.jhtml?id=lactaid/lactose/facts.inc

I totally agree.

Wow. It's sad when a lactose intolerant young adult can not carry lactaid to school...

 

[sweetinmaine]

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's troubles. You may want to call the head of the School Board and explain the situation. Sometimes, maybe with a note from your doctor, they will waive the suspension. Good luck.

 

[Kallison]

I would fight this one tooth and nail -- idiotic.

 

[Southern4sure]

I would fight it. Your daughter needs the tablet to eat lunch. How can they suspend her for that?

Good luck!

Southern4sure

 

[Mandabella]

I don't believe this! I agree with the others, fight this one. Ridiculous!

If I was in your daughter's shoes I probably would have gotten a week's worth of suspension because of the asthma/allergy meds/inhalers and tylenol I carried in my purse everyday. And heaven forbid if I had some sort of resp/sinus/bronch infection....cause then I would have been packing an antibiotic and prednisone!

 

[aprilgail2]

Wow that stinks....I don't understand though why she would drink the milk anyway...dont they have juice or something besides milk?? At 17 I can't imagine they monitor what the kids eat....heck my daughter is in kindergarten and they have a choice between milk, juice and bottled water with lunches and half the time they don't even open the drink, just throw it away

 

[rubyslipperlover]

we have the same zero tolerance policy in my dd's high school.

the search was probably legitimate. no 4th amendment violation that I can see.

but if lactaid tablets are considered a supplement and not a medication, then you have grounds to fight the suspension. your dd has due process rights to challenge the suspension, I suggest you have her exercize those rights.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

If you find yourself getting nowhere--arm yourself with the back up data and notify your congressperson and governor in addition to the news media--heck when you right the school board, cc the governor.

If they want to get "technical" they need to rewrite their policy--but for now...she broke no rules---those are a bunch of pinheads.

For college purposes--I would include all that backup data when DD is applying for college--I don't recall how the apps process works..but she definitely has the right to defend her honor.

 

[Sparx]

that would fit more into the vitamine catagory, wouldn't it?

 

[rubyslipperlover]

If you find yourself getting nowhere--arm yourself with the back up data and notify your congressperson and governor in addition to the news media--heck when you right the school board, cc the governor.

If they want to get "technical" they need to rewrite their policy--but for now...she broke no rules---those are a bunch of pinheads.

For college purposes--I would include all that backup data when DD is applying for college--I don't recall how the apps process works..but she definitely has the right to defend her honor.

you really think congress and the governor would care about a local school issue? oh, please.

the bottom line is, if this is medication, the young lady would have to have it dispensed by the school nurse, and she broke a valid rule. if it is not medication, she should follow the school's internal procedure to fight the suspension. that usually involves a hearing before the school administration. the next step is to take the matter to the local school board. you can't even file a valid lawsuit against the school if you don't follow the school's disciplinary appeal procedure.

 

[rubyslipperlover]

Laxtaid markets its product as a dietary supplement.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=21867

I don't know how the FDA classifies it, but I suspect it couldn't be marketed as a suplement if the FDA considered it a "drug", so there's your answer...

 

[orangeblossom]

I'd fight it tooth and nail as well.

 

[FreshTressa]

Lactaid is NOT a drug...it says right on the website and bottle that it is a supplement.

Therefore, she did not know she was breaking a rule..she was not bringing a DRUG to school.

 

[georgina]

We sure have been having a rash of bomb threats around here! First our middle school, and then an elementary school. I know several neighboring districts had this problem also. I'm pretty sure our district won't search a person without some cause or suspicion. I know when they have the drug dogs in, they can only search if the dogs smell something. I find it hard to believe they searched everyone's purses, etc. That would really upset me. I would fight it too on the basis that it is not a medication, but to them a pill may be a pill.