Student suspended over call from mom in Iraq

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COLUMBUS, Georgia (AP) -- A high school student was suspended for 10 days for refusing to end a cell phone call with his mother, a soldier serving in Iraq, school officials said.

The 10-day suspension was issued because Kevin Francois was "defiant and disorderly" and was imposed in lieu of an arrest, Spencer High School assistant principal Alfred Parham said.

The confrontation Wednesday began after the 17-year-old junior got a call at lunchtime from his mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, who left in January for a one-year tour with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion.

Cell phones are allowed on campus but may not be used during school hours. When a teacher told him to hang up, he refused. He said he told the teacher, "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."

Parham said the teen's suspension was based on his reaction to the teacher's request. He said the teen used profanity when taken to the office.

"Kevin got defiant and disorderly," Parham said. "When a kid becomes out of control like that they can either be arrested or suspended for 10 days. Now being that his mother is in Iraq, we're not trying to cause her any undue hardship; he was suspended for 10 days."

CNN
 
Seems more than a tad overboard for the school system. Ten days is alot. Shouldn't have gotten any at all IMO. This was at lunch, not during a class and it was his mother in Iraq. Any way you slice it, the school system comes off like heartless beasts. I hope they either relent on the punishment or suffer serious illwill for their stance.
 
Hm, that really sounds a bit harsh... :?
Is it "normal procedure" in the US to not allow cell phones during the breaks at all??
I don't think we have many (any?) schools here in Norway that doesn't allow that..
 
Thats a bunch of BS. I would do the same thing if it was me. I would never hang up on my mom, even if she was in Iraq or any other place where I could not see her everyday or at least once a month.
 
Redleg said:
Hm, that really sounds a bit harsh... :?
Is it "normal procedure" in the US to not allow cell phones during the breaks at all??
I don't think we have many (any?) schools here in Norway that doesn't allow that..

yea, my friend got her phone taking up because her mom called her phone to tell her to get on the bus...
she normally would have called the school but our school doesnt deliver messages to reliably
 
That's a load of bull on the school system's part. I'll be damned if there's someone here who would have hung up. Here.......fighting, you get suspended 10 days. There are people who hate talking to their mom, it just seems extremely insensitive.


At my school we're allowed to have our phones and use them when class is not in session (lunch, passing time, etc).
 
DlanoeG said:
That's a load of bull on the school system's part. I'll be damned if there's someone here who would have hung up. Here.......fighting, you get suspended 10 days. There are people who hate talking to their mom, it just seems extremely insensitive.


At my school we're allowed to have our phones and use them when class is not in session (lunch, passing time, etc).

Same here. You can use it anytime when you're not in class. Also, my school is understanding enough not to do that, sometimes.
 
Well at least they reduced his suspension to three days. I think one day's detention would've sufficed - if that. The school system is saying they offered him time for the call and he refused, well he was on the line with his mom during lunch. How was school disrupted in any way during that time?
 
thats bull....once the school had recieved an explanation and an appoligy from the kid thats where it should've ended

more concern to me is the two options the school uses is suspension or ARREST!


wtf!?! you're gonna arrest kids for getting rowdy? jeez
 
I read this on another site. Where they posted a few of the schools email
addresses.
Did it ever occur to these dumb a$$es that with his mom in Iraq it could potentially be the last time this kid ever gets to speak to his mom! Insentive cant see beyond there noses jerks!!!

You can contact the superintendent here
jphillips@mcsdga.net


They also had the principal's & vice's posted but the superintendant is the one who matters.
 
Unfortunetaly according to most of the American School System I have know of, no one is entitled to special treatments regardless the situation.
 
I don't think it's "special treatment" to be able to accept a phonecall from your mother during lunch whether she's in Iraq or Cleveland for that matter.
 
chewie_nz said:
thats bull....once the school had recieved an explanation and an appoligy from the kid thats where it should've ended

more concern to me is the two options the school uses is suspension or ARREST!


wtf!?! you're gonna arrest kids for getting rowdy? jeez


Let's see if I can explain this in a way that makes sense. Because it very seldom makes sense to any Cop that gets dispatched to one of these type calls.

Yes chewie a great many "Educators" here in the States are shrinking violets. If a child refuses to obey the directions of an "education professional" or talks back to an "education professional" Their first response is not to.

A. Intiate In house disciplinary methods, i.e. Detention, Suspension etc.
B. Involve the Pupils Parents.
C. Use the Child Pshycology they are taught.
D. Refer the pupil to consuling

No their first action is to call Law Enforcement and make a disorderly complaint and have LEO's dispatched to take care of problems that 95% of the time could be handled with in the school.

Why? You ask?

The "education professionals" cite a violent society , and fear for their personel safety when dealing with " Out of Control Students."

"Educators" Say that Cops are more prepared to deal with potential threats of violence than "Teachers".

The "Educators" fears have led to an amazing number of Zero Tolorence Policies in School districts. The policies just off the top of my head have led the the suspension/expulsion of students for the following "infractions"

1. Pointing the ol'finger pistol at another student and saying "bang" while playing at recess.
2. Drawing pictures depicting the War. With guns, bombs, planes. etc.
3. Displaying a photo of a brother serving in Iraq and the photo also displaying a SAW.
4.After moving to another house. Forgetting a steak knife in the back seat of the family car. Driving to school, parking and having an "Educator" spot the "Weapon".
5. Pointing a Chicken strip at an educator in a manner resembling a firearm. (my guess as to the charge Felony Assault with Fast Food. The criminal was 7)

Zero Tolorence Policies have lead to 5 year old Kindergarten Students requiring a Police Response because of a tantrum.

IMHO the reason "Educator's" do this is they would rather put Law Enforcement in the trick bag as far as law suits and the parents go than to keep their house in order themselves. " Look Jimmy's Mom it wasn't us it was the Cops."

The good news is this. Regardless of the " Educator" above spouting off about Arresting anyone for a rules infraction (now all teachers or aspiring teachers read this) " It's not your call!!!!!" It's the call of the responding officer as to whether or not the incident is a violation of the law and an Arrestable offense. So no matter how much you wail and mewl about how " You want Timmy arrested" for telling you to go " :cen: yourself" It's still my call. I don't teach science so please don't tell me how to police.
 
If the school system suspended my child because I called him at lunch break, I'd be looking for a new school system. Either that or start home schooling.
 
03USMC said:
chewie_nz said:
thats bull....once the school had recieved an explanation and an appoligy from the kid thats where it should've ended

more concern to me is the two options the school uses is suspension or ARREST!


wtf!?! you're gonna arrest kids for getting rowdy? jeez


Let's see if I can explain this in a way that makes sense. Because it very seldom makes sense to any Cop that gets dispatched to one of these type calls.

Yes chewie a great many "Educators" here in the States are shrinking violets. If a child refuses to obey the directions of an "education professional" or talks back to an "education professional" Their first response is not to.

A. Intiate In house disciplinary methods, i.e. Detention, Suspension etc.
B. Involve the Pupils Parents.
C. Use the Child Pshycology they are taught.
D. Refer the pupil to consuling

this astounds me 03,

i wasn't a good kid in school but by god, the threat of a call to my parents used to scare the bejebus out of me!

and i would also think that the teacher would also consider what jobs are not being done when an officer is dispatched to deal with a five year olds tantrum.
 
You don't know what kind of people they have teaching at the schools. I know someone that has mental problems and had a report on them from the DCF, they were given a job teaching learning disabled children. I know this because it was my family.
 
Insanity, I tells ya.

In my school you're allowed to phone whoever the **** you want during breaks. Even if you did phone in class you wouldn't be arrested or suspended. You might get detention though. I can't say I feel sorry for U.S. toops dying in Iraq, but I do feel sorry for their loved ones and that school principal (or teacher) was clearly an :cen:

Mod edit: watch your language
 
Mohmar Deathstrike said:
h. I can't say I feel sorry for U.S. toops dying in Iraq, but I do feel sorry for their loved ones and that school principal (or teacher) was clearly an :cen: .


I'm gonna listen to my better judgement for once and leave that whole statement alone.
 
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