ZeroIntelligence.net

As reported in the Courier-Journal of Louisville, Kentucky, a boy has been suspended from school for expressing his desire to kill other students on his MySpace page.

I’m not a big fan of people threatening others with death, but from time to time, I’ve had such a desire, too. Fortunately, ZeroIntelligence.net isn’t MySpace, which Crosby Middle School, or at least Jefferson County Public Schools, seem to think is within their jurisdiction. To help clear up my confusion on this, I’ve sent Lauren Roberts (lauren.roberts@jefferson.kyschools.us), spokeswoman for the school system, the email that follows. I will update this posting once I hear back from her, if I do.

Ms. Roberts,

…snipped introductory text…

I do want to give you an opportunity to express the point of view of Jefferson County Public Schools, so I ask you a few questions:

1. When did the regulation of speech on MySpace first fall within the jurisdiction of Crosby Middle School?
2. If it does not, why was this not referred to proper authorities?
3. What is the language of the school policy violated and does it allow the reach of the school to extend beyond school property and even into cyberspace?
4. Have you ever desired to kill anyone?
5. If so, have you ever told anyone?
6. If so, were you suspended from your school or job?
7. Last year, Nobel Peace Laureate Betty Williams told a group of schoolchildren, “Right now, I would like to kill George Bush.” Would you allow Ms. Williams to speak at Crosby Middle School?
8. Have you checked the 265 people on 43 Things that want to kill someone to make sure they don’t attend Crosby Middle School? (http://www.43things.com/things/view/13726)

I look forward to your responses.

Blue skies,
-Aaron

Student Arrested For Terroristic Threatening Says Incident A Misunderstanding

Updated 14 March 2005: Some of Poole’s journal writings revealed in court session.
Updated 24 March 2005: Poole makes bail, released from holding center.
Updated 30 March 2005: Poole re-arrested for violating terms of bail.
Updated 15 July 2005: Grand Jury indicts Poole for misdemeanor charge, not felony.
Updated 28 July 2005: Poole pled not-guilty. Lawyer files to have charges dismissed.
Updated 04 October 2005: All charges dropped but Poole still on probation. Details at bottom of post.

William Poole, a junior at George Rogers Clark High School, was arrested Tuesday for making terroristic threats against his school.

Poole told LEX 18 that the whole incident is a big misunderstanding. He claims that what his grandparents found in his journal and turned into police was a short story he wrote for English class.

“My story is based on fiction,” said Poole, who faces a second-degree felony terrorist threatening charge. “It’s a fake story. I made it up. I’ve been working on one of my short stories, (and) the short story they found was about zombies. Yes, it did say a high school. It was about a high school over ran by zombies.”

Even so, police say the nature of the story makes it a felony. “Anytime you make any threat or possess matter involving a school or function it’s a felony in the state of Kentucky,” said Winchester Police detective Steven Caudill.

The short story did not mention Poole’s school, any teachers, the principal or any cops, officials or students.

His bail was raised from one to five thousand dollars at the request of prosecutors because of the “seriousness of the crime”.

There is no mention of the school itself being involved here. This madness seems to be 100% from the police.

Winchester Government contact information:
Mayor Dodd Dixon
Chief of Police W.M.Jackson II - Phone: 1-859-745-7400, Fax: 1-859-745-7404

(Tip credit to Tori in Texas)
(more…)

Tuesday Afternoon Headlines with Bill Bryant (click on headline to play video)

There will be no more bad hair days allowed at Williamsburg schools. For students.

Newscast transcript:

Williamsburg city schools [Whitley County School District] have banned exotic hairstyles or hair colors for students. That includes Mohawks and unnatural colors such as blue, pink or green. The principal [Kenneth Powell] says the school is trying to bring the regular school dress code in line with a stricter code at the alternative school. The school system says it will send letters home explaining the new policy.

Why apply a more stringent dress code to students at the regular high school? The news story indicates no reason for the change. Unfortunately there is nothing about the new dress policy on any of the school or district websites. Additional restrictions are expected in an alternative school. What has happened to make administrators want to apply these restrictions at the regular schools? Given only the principal’s statement the reason appears to be “just because”.

Comments from cj, an area teacher:

I’m a teacher, but I believe that kids need to be allowed to be kids. High school is when kids get to wear Mohawks and rainbow-colored hair. Most of them don’t have the opportunity to do so once they grow up and get jobs, since most employers frown on it. Of course, at the school where I teach, some of the teachers may be affected by the ban on “any unnatural color” — we have a few teachers with shades of red hair that don’t exist in nature — and there are always a few at any school with lavender and blue hair. Wonder if Williamsburg City Schools will hold teachers to the same standard?
…
I know that many adults don’t see this as a big deal, but I worry about kids that we don’t allow to search through various identities. It’s part of growing up — kids have fashions that adults don’t understand but it helps the kids as they search for who they are. If the worst thing a kid ever does is dye his hair green or purple, that’s a pretty good kid!

It will be interesting to see how they write this policy. I can foresee dozens of pit falls ahead for it. Going blond is unnatural if you are a brunette. What about a student who dyes their hair and then lets it grow back out with its natural color? Half brunette/half blond is definitely not natural. Will a student who has once dyed their hair be forced to continue dying it in perpetuity? How about a shaven head?

Methinks they have opened up a can of worms here.

(Tip credit to cj)

Parent sues Boyle over expulsion of student

The Boyle School District Board of Education is being sued for expelling a freshman student. The Board expelled him for posession of a prescription strength antibiotic.

The boy’s father claims the student was expelled without a fair hearing because only Assistant Principal Steve Evans testified before the board, and his testimony was based only on what other students had told him.

Bill Erwin, the student’s attorney, said no evidence was presented, and no other witnesses were called. The student denies ever being in possession of the antibiotic that is used to treat urinary tract infections.

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Teenager barred from prom for Confederate-inspired dress sues

Jacqueline Duty designed her prom dress over four years. It celebrated her American heritage with its red, white and blue colors and her Southern heritage with a Confederate Battle Flag. Although students were allowed to wear the Rebel Flag in school she was not allowed to attend the prom in her homemade dress.

School leaders, who had heard about Duty’s plans to wear the Confederate-inspired sequined gown, wouldn’t allow her to enter the prom or even leave her vehicle, her lawyers say.
…
Now Duty is suing the school district in U.S. District Court in Lexington, saying the school district and administrators violated her First Amendment right to free speech and her right to celebrate her heritage. She also is suing for defamation, false imprisonment and assault.
…
Her lawyer said Duty lost many scholarships because she was portrayed as a racist after the incident. Duty’s mother added that her daughter graduated near the top of her class in May.

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Updated 9 August 2004: Cheyenne and Mikki allowed into class. (At bottom of post)

Rockcastle girl, 7, needs Mikki’s help during seizures

This one is a bit more infuriating than usual. Cheyenne Gilliam has epilepsy and she suffers several full seizures a week. Her parents raised $8,000 to pay for a service dog and Cheyenne’s training in handling it. Mikki can sense when Cheyenne is going to have a seizure and will indicate this to her so she can lie down. While she is seizing, the dog will lie on top of her to protect her and comfort her. When the seizure has completely passed he will get up to let her know it is safe for her to rise.

Mikki goes a long way toward letting Cheyenne lead as close to a normal life as she can. Unfortunately for the Gilliams, Mikki is not welcome at Mount Vernon Elementary School.

On 7-year-old Cheyenne Gilliam’s first day at Mount Vernon Elementary yesterday, her new principal, Leon Davidson, explained to her classmates that the dog she brought to school isn’t a pet: It’s a working dog trained to respond to Cheyenne’s epileptic seizures.

But the pair’s first day in second grade ended abruptly when Rockcastle County Schools Superintendent Larry Hammond notified Cheyenne’s parents, Jennifer and Anthony Gilliam, that the dog was, in a manner of speaking, being suspended.

Two hours after the day began, the family took the dog, and their daughter, home.

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Measure expands school absences

Last fall a furor was raised when principal James Sexton refused to allow Alex Harris two weeks excused absence. Alex was one of 25 American students who were invited to perform at a piano concert in Japan.

Alex and his family feared that if he went, he could wind up with a semester of poor grades under a school rule that lowers a student’s grade one level each time he or she accrues more than five unexcused absences. After more than 15, the best a student can do is a D.

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