<p>If not zero tolerance, then what?? In this case, the parents who complain the longest/loudest or who ‘knows somebody’ or who have discretionary income enough to hire a lawyer will get results for their kid whereas the kid with parents who are less ‘involved’ or have a more modest income will have the book thrown at him. The kid who’s high-profile, say the Student Council president, won’t get the same consequence as the uninvolved loner. The student who isn’t college-bound will be forced to run the gauntlet whereas the Ivy-bound kid will merely have his hands slapped. Seems to me zero-tolerance is the only way to be equitable~ </p>
<p>I’m not heartless and haven’t had perfect kids, but I’ve tried my darnedest to teach them responsibility–that behavior results in consequence, like it or not…Sorry, but smoking weed at a school function is a pretty serious offense so it follows that a pretty serious consequence should follow. Maybe zero tolerance isn’t perfect–doesn’t work in every case, but if not that…??</p>