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Honestly... What the Hell???

SoupNazzi

Shared on Tue, 03/30/2010 - 15:40

So, on Tuesdays I work from home, and it gives me an opportunity to go have lunch with my daughter at her school.

While we are sitting with her class eating lunch, one of the neighbor boys blurts out "Anna got a ticket!" Now, Anna is the 13 year old daughter of my next door neighbor. She's somewhat of a tom boy, races moto-cross, and actually punched a boy out at a moto-cross track. She's tough, but generally a good kid.

So I ask where she got the ticket? "At school!" WTF? At school? What for? "Disrupting the class." Wait, you can get tickets in school? I know there are "resource officers" at the majority of the schools, but I didn't realize they gave out tickets. I mean, yeah, I know they have the ability to do this, but you're giving a 13 year old girl a ticket? For disrupting the class?

Don't get me wrong. Anna was at fault here and she should be punished. But a citation for disturbing the class?

Here's the kicker: The fine for this offense is $547 (I verified all this with her parents. Who are steamed. With her and the citation.)

What.

The.

Fuck.

People get DUIs down here, spend the night in jail and get lesser fines then that.

Now, I don't have an issue with a police officer's power to issue citations.

My issue is it seems like a few disciplinary steps were skipped. What ever happened to detention, suspension, expulsion. What ever happened to the teacher sending the kid to the office / Principal to let them deal with it?

I honestly feel like this is somehow linked to the typical "zero tolerance" policies almost all school's have. Pretty soon it's gonna be zero tolerance for everything, and all our kids will be graduating high school with criminal records.

What happened to teacher's washing kid's mouths out with soap? (BTW, this happened to me in 1st grade for saying the "F" word in the boy's bathroom. Still didn't stop me from saying it.)

I just don't get it.

EDIT - Someone wanted to know what she did. Per her words, they were taking a test, and a boy behind her kept tapping his foot on the floor loudly even after being asked to stop it, so she told him to stop it, and the teacher told her to be quiet, and I don't recall exactly what she said, but the teacher took it as disrespect even though she didn't intend for it to be.

Also, she wasn't the only one to get a ticket. Three others in her class also got the same ticket at the same time. It's ridiculous IMO.

Comments

Rayne46's picture
Submitted by Rayne46 on Wed, 03/31/2010 - 06:53
This must be part of the economic stimulus plan from the white house.
Rau's picture
Submitted by Rau on Wed, 03/31/2010 - 13:11
I don't think a school can issue a citation. I don't think they have the authority to do that. Hell, when I was a PO and had a badge, I couldn't shit like that.
SoupNazzi's picture
Submitted by SoupNazzi on Wed, 03/31/2010 - 13:28
Don't get confused... it was the school's resource officer, who is a sworn PO. He issued the ticket. Not the school itself.
Smithcraft's picture
Submitted by Smithcraft on Wed, 03/31/2010 - 15:34
All the parents need to get together and decide what needs to be done over this, 'cuz this is not the way that the country needs to be headed. SC
FlobberWorm's picture
Submitted by FlobberWorm on Wed, 03/31/2010 - 15:39
@Rayne: Or maybe Texas' way of trying to avoid having to take Stimulus money? The parents of the other kids in the class should get together and demand the PO issue a citation to the Teacher for not providing a "good learning environment". I just can't believe this is true - talk about opening Pandora's box...
PeepshowJanitor's picture
Submitted by PeepshowJanitor on Wed, 03/31/2010 - 18:09
Plain 'ol ridunkulus. No way in hell would I pay that, Take me to court, please, I'm begging you!
BCKinetic's picture
Submitted by BCKinetic on Wed, 03/31/2010 - 18:19
I fear that much of this is on the heels of things such as the teen suicide in Mass. (The 15 y/o Irish girl) A backlash in the wake of such tragedy to protect school districts and teachers I imagine. If the responsibility is taken off the school and placed into the hands of 'authorities', and it generates revenue for the district - it makes sense on paper regardless of it's lunacy in real life. And we all know that this country would prefer to run based on what looks good on paper vs what actually works in the real world.
J-Cat's picture
Submitted by J-Cat on Wed, 03/31/2010 - 18:55
Not long ago a girl got taken out of her school IN HANDCUFFS for "defacing school property". Know what she did? She doodled on her desk. Straight A student. Taken away in handcuffs in front of all her friends. for doodling on a fucking desk. Think she will ever trust/respect/appreciate school again? not likely. this is the same thing. And you know what? Lots of people can't afford to pay $550 straight out of pocket. Anyway: keep us upt o date soup...
Snuphy's picture
Submitted by Snuphy on Tue, 03/30/2010 - 16:21
So rather than have discipline at school, they extort it out of the parents? That's a crappy system. $547 is a lot of jack. I wonder what the fine would be for making a tabletop design with rubber cement in art class and then lighting it on fire . . . . . . . Also wonder what happens if the fine is not paid?? More fines? Small claims court? Lien on the parents home? Prison for the 13 YO?
wilderz's picture
Submitted by wilderz on Tue, 03/30/2010 - 16:30
I wonder if this has to do with school's budgets being slashed. I'm not saying this is right at all (cause if it was me getting the fine, I wouldn't be paying it, and then I would be putting my kid somewhere else), but it may explain why the are doing this.
Smithcraft's picture
Submitted by Smithcraft on Tue, 03/30/2010 - 16:56
It certainly seems like the normal steps may have been bypassed, but it's still bullshit. Is this a real ticket, or just some school discipline bs? SC
MikeTheKnife's picture
Submitted by MikeTheKnife on Tue, 03/30/2010 - 17:01
what's the punchline? No way this is real.
CMA's picture
Submitted by CMA on Fri, 04/02/2010 - 09:42
I actually think this is awesome. Parents and kids don't care about detention or suspensions, but hit that wallet book and all the sudden it is a big deal. If a student's behavior in class is dismantling the family's budget those parents are going to get interested in their student's behavior real fast. It sucks to be on the receiving end, I don't necessarily think Anna deserved it, but as a general policy, I like it.
SPARHAWK25's picture
Submitted by SPARHAWK25 on Tue, 03/30/2010 - 17:06
There is a zero percent chance this would be paid. WTF? Texas? The last bastion of personal freedom is giving out tickets in middle school? I do have an issue with a police officer issuing a ticket (if it is just general screwing around, and not something really criminal). To be honest...fuck him or her if they do not have the brain power to use discretion, they should not be police officers. Unless this kid is taking a dump in a teachers mouth...that kind of ticket is a little extreme.
SoupNazzi's picture
Submitted by SoupNazzi on Tue, 03/30/2010 - 17:26
It's a real ticket, and a real criminal citation. Looks exactly like a speeding ticket. If the fine isn't paid, I'd assume a Bench Warrant would be issued just the same if you didn't pay a speeding ticket.
Snuphy's picture
Submitted by Snuphy on Tue, 03/30/2010 - 18:08
Bench warrant for the kid?
Lbsutke's picture
Submitted by Lbsutke on Tue, 03/30/2010 - 18:31
LOL Fuck Texas!! My speeding ticket was 175 bucks!!!
Snuphy's picture
Submitted by Snuphy on Tue, 03/30/2010 - 19:11
Bench warrant for LB?
Fish66's picture
Submitted by Fish66 on Wed, 03/31/2010 - 02:26
Yet another example of over reacting two fold. I guess now that we are realizing the "Blameless" society thing is counter productive, those with Authority are going to take it the other way to extreme. Will commonsense ever be used again?
Kwazy's picture
Submitted by Kwazy on Wed, 03/31/2010 - 06:44
So what specifically did she do?

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