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[LivinSoFree]

Student suspended over call from mom in Iraq


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."

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/05....ap/index.html

Holy sh*t... that's one principal I'd love to take out back and "converse" with.

[CrazyBrave83]

Sorry for posting here (not being a Marine and all) but damn, that gets me heated. If by "Converse", LCpl, you mean beat with a stick...I too had such thoughts.

[Toby M]

Damn, they have some serious rules in Georgia! I'm glad to see the kid didn't get shot for his reaction...

[mrbsox]

For the record...
He SHOULD be suspended. The rule is in place, the line is in the sand, and MUST be upheld, for the sake of authority.

BUT...
... if the suspension is NOT suspended, then the principal should be !!
And nothing detrimental in his school record.

Terry

[rsta]

Oh, for crying out loud, his mother was calling from a war zone! Surely there is some flexibility built in to these school rules. Sounds like another case of no common sense being used when enforcing the rules. Seems like there is a lot of that lately.

[yellowwing]

He said the teen used profanity when taken to the office.

That's where the kid screwed up. If he had been smooth and polite with a clear explanation of what was going on, he might have gotten off with a verbal warning.

Now he and the school system are FUBAR.

They did an article of the easy calls home from deployment. Some are actually having the reverse morale effect. Family member now have the time and frequency to heap on more stress and responisblities to their service members, "I can't find a good plumber, Johnny got suspended from school..."

NEWS FLASH - The boob-tube just reported that the school district reduced his suspension to three days. The district has 3,700 students with parents in the Service.

[CHOPPER7199]

CORRECT YELLOWWING, THE MOUTH OVER REACTED BEFORE THE BRAIN KICKED IN.

[mrbsox]

OK... I knew I would start a controversity.
As replied to a PM:

Thank you for the reply,
and I agree that there should be some flexability. Hence my comment that the suspension should be suspended.

A police officer is NOT wrong in giving a speeding ticket... IT'S THE LAW. But, the judge holds final say in suspending the penalty. This allows for the HUMAN FACTOR.

But my point is.... the LAW must be enforced, or the law is worthless. There is NOT enough authority in our schools, in MY opinion. Should we dissmiss them just for the special case (like this), or deal out compasion when warranted ??

Semper Fi

The RIGHT decision, isn't always the popular one.
IN MY OPINION, the rules MUST be upheld, or they are worthless.

[BUDMAN]

Very true there needs to be some flexiability to the rules here. The young gentleman should not be suspended for 10 days. His mother is serving this country proudly in a war zone defending the freedoms that alot of people take for granted.

[BigCat1]

I agree...he should have engaged his brain housing group before opening his pie hole....3 day suspension! Punishment fits the crime!

[Osotogary]

Should cellular phones be allowed on campus?

[OLE SARG]

Cellular telephones light me up in no time. People are SO RUDE on these damn things and then I have an ******* make a turn in from of me with a ******* cell phone stuck in his ear, I honk at him, and the SOB gives me the finger. Jammed on brakes and got out of my pickup and the yellow SOB took off. It gripes my ass too when you go to a restaurant and some ****head who is self-important is talking, as loud as he can, on a cell phone. I usually talk loud enough about my displeasure with listening to his phone call that it gets results.
People in general are just rude and disrespectful of other people's feelings and presence. In my opinion, there should be a law banning the use of cell phones while operating a motor vehicle. Cell phones should be banned on ANY public transportation and in public places - PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SEMPER FI,
OLE SARG

[BigPhil]

I agree with OLD Sarg. about the cell phones,they are a pain in the a-- seems every one is useing them and forgetting to watch were they are going. And have no respect for the people around them. As for the student the three day suspension sounds fair, because of the bad language.
Semper Fi
Big Phil.

[yellowwing]

I pull over if someone calls me. I've tried to talk and drive and to me it just cannot be done safely. When I'm talking thats where I'm at, not thinking about other obstacles or speed or traffic signals.

[Wyoming]

.

Cellphones - They have good and bad points.

Mine, it's usually in my truck. Like I said, it's mine and I use it when needed.

It doesn't go in a restaurant or movie or any other such place.

The company I work for has a rule, no cellular phones while driving, company time or personal time. They be serious about that. Pull over if you get a call.


I have 3 phones - Wife, Daughter and mine. Last month I had 225 minutes, the daughter ~200 and the Bride <10. No problem there.

What got me was the text messages. On the bill was ~24 bucks for text messages that the daughter had made. What the hell is a text message? I told her to go home and call whoever it was she was doing the text message thingy with.



I may be old fashioned, but this all fits into the sheeit of wearing a cap in a restaurant. Backwards or frontwards, no matter. Add a cell phone to the mixture and I lose me cool.

.