Lawsuits - they're not just for top scholars anymore! An angry cheerleader in Westmoreland County (PA) is suing her school over her "demotion" from the varsity squad. Once again, it appears to be a "he-said/she-said" situation; cheerleader Felicia Huffine claims that her past record of varsity performance should exempt her from tryouts. Plus, she skipped a cheerleading camp in July; she says she was given permission to skip, while the coaches say she knew that skipping would result in her being removed from the squad.
Felicia, you're not alone! In 2002, Wisconsin cheerleader Andrea Warren sued her school after she was "unfairly" stripped of the title of team captain. It seems Andrea admitted to drinking alcohol at a party and smoking on school grounds, and graciously accepted the punishment of having her title removed for her junior year. However, when the squad voted Andrea as captain the next year, the school decided to extend the punishment and prevent her from being captain her senior year, which might have affected her ability to earn cheerleading scholarships.
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A Japanese school teacher, with a reputation for "diligence,", was diligent indeed in his pursuit of comfort during a heat wave. I doubt that "50-yard-dash" from the police did much to cool him off, though.
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Rapides Parish (LA) is closing a loophole with its decision to automatically expel students who appear intoxicated at school or at school-related events. Breathalyzer tests may be used, but note that the symptoms of "speech alterations, bizarre behavior and unsteadiness of gait or posture" may also be used to expel students. Bizarre behavior? Yeah, that's a clear-cut concept, especially considering we're talking about teenagers here.
The backstory is amusing:
The change comes after the Rapides Parish School Board settled a lawsuit in May with a Brame Middle School student who was expelled for testing positive for marijuana at school.
His parents sued the School Board because the previous policy only prohibited drug possession, which does not apply to drugs inside the body.
Bah ha ha haaa! You mean some pothead's parents actually supported their kid's decision to be high during school by insisting that actually consuming wacky weed is not the same thing as possessing it? Boy, talk about setting a great example for your kids.
In response, the school seems to be cracking down on a whole range of behaviors, including fights between kids over the age of 11 (now requires a 911 call), truancy (now requires a referral to Juvenile Court), and the use of cell phones (forbidden at school-related events).
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Finally, it's "Google for me but not for thee" as New Zealand's cheating students are getting caught by teachers who enter plagiarized essay phrases into Internet search engines. It's amazing that the students didn't foresee that their teachers could find key phrases online in the same way the students did. Live by the Internet, die by the Internet.
Posted by kswygert at September 2, 2003 09:50 AM