posted by Joe Polk at 11:35 AM /
Mt. Lebanon school board continues to study a proposed policy to govern non school-related drug and alcohol violations.
The proposed policy, which the board is slated to vote on next Monday, addresses "use, possession, sale, distribution or procurement of any amount of alcohol, drugs, other controlled substances (other than legally prescribed medications) or drug paraphernalia or being under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other controlled substances."
Confirmation of the conduct would be gained through citation by law enforcement or through the student's parent or guardian, the proposed policy said.
Read more: www.post-gazette.com/pg/10014/1028041-55.stm
The proposed policy, which the board is slated to vote on next Monday, addresses "use, possession, sale, distribution or procurement of any amount of alcohol, drugs, other controlled substances (other than legally prescribed medications) or drug paraphernalia or being under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other controlled substances."
Confirmation of the conduct would be gained through citation by law enforcement or through the student's parent or guardian, the proposed policy said.
Read more: www.post-gazette.com/pg/10014/1028041-55.stm
Labels: drugs. alcohol, school board
1 Comments:
This seems odd to me. So we have two arms of the government (law enforcement and public education) that will effectively charge, try, and convict children in drug and alcohol related offenses?
I understand the school doesn't constitute a court of law in any technical sense. It may not be a Fifth Amendment violation, double jeopardy[0], but it smells like it. Will punishing children repeatedly for the same violation be any more of a deterrent? I agree with Mr. Fraasch[1] when he says this is "intrusive."
If the school district feels our community is doing a poor job of preventing or punishing underage drug and alcohol offenses, fine. The board ought to appeal to the municipality to step up and perform. It makes no sense to outsource this aspect of law enforcement to an education system.
If this plan is adopted, these specific punishments ban students from school activities. I'm hard pressed to believe that alienating a student and keeping her separated from organized activities is a step in the right direction. It would seem to me that being involved and busy is a more likely method of avoiding trouble. How does the study show that an abundance of free time and lesser community involvement will reduce the likelihood of future violations?
I hope there's an answer. On its face the policy is nonsensical.
[0] Double Jeopardy in the United States
[1] Post Gazette
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