<p>Wow… just caught up on reading this whole thread, and there are some wonderfully wise people here, who, I think, if all put together in the same room, could reform the discipline system in our educational system. I’ve gone back and forth on this, and have this to add:</p>
<p>I agree with mini that most likely, this was not the first time most of these kids had smoked pot, but was the first time they were caught. </p>
<p>Secondly, I do believe that the school has the right to come down harsh on these kids. It’s an entirely different situation when kids attending a school function break the law than it is when kids break the law outside of school activities and school hours. As a parent who has spent MANY days and evenings chaperoning school trips (overnights included), it really began to hit me that I had a huge responsibility to make sure these kids didn’t get into any trouble. In fact, over time, as I realized kids were doing things that had borderline dangerous potential, I began to back out of chaperoning… I just didn’t want to put myself in the position of being sued, which I can easily see some parent doing, for not being diligent enough and responsible enough to keep the kids in line 24 hours a day. And I don’t limit this to alcohol or drugs… what about the kid who agrees to sneak into the hotel room of another kid from another school - then is sexually assaulted because they find out that kid wasn’t really a kid, but was someone posing as a student. </p>
<p>It is a huge responsibility for school staff and chaperones to take students into a situation where they absolutely cannot be monitored 24 hours a day. And I think it requires a different set of consequences in order to scare the crap out of them. You just don’t have the control over them like you do when they’re in the school building.</p>
<p>That being said, I do think the consequences were too harsh in the situation. There are so many options between doing nothing at all, and what they chose, that it makes me doubt the intelligence of those who set the rules. If your school is having an abnormally high incidence of drug use, then you’d better darn make sure you repeat again and again that the consequences will be harsh before you leave, and the administration will stop at nothing of making an example out of anyone who breaks the rules. </p>
<p>Like I said, I do think the schools need to cover their butts due to sue-happy parents. If kids want to smoke pot (or whatever) after school hours or at non-school events, fine, go for it, and face the consequences of your community’s laws if you’re caught. Their engaging in this activity in this context are not putting a whole school and volunteer chaperone parents at risk for being sued.</p>
<p>(btw… can you tell I have obvious leftover anger issues from my days of chaperoning for a teacher who could care less what the kids did?)</p>