Hinds County, MS
DATE OF INCIDENT: April 2008
INCIDENT:
A 12 year old, straight "A" student and school mascot receives a progress report in history showing an average of "F". Instantly, the student mumbles "someone's gonna die." Only the teacher heard him as class was dismissing for the day. The teacher said nothing to the student. Instead, he called the child's mother to say her son had threatened to kill him!
DISTRICT RESPONSE:
EXPULSION FOR ONE CALENDAR YEAR, later reduced during district appeal to one semester at Alternative School. The hearings were a waste of time. With zero tolerance, it didn't matter his intent, his likelihood to follow through, NOTHING!! He said it and that was that!!! In addition, the mother, a counselor in that school district, was placed on administrative leave with no notice. She wasn't even given an opportunity to clean out the office she'd worked in for over ten years!
OTHER:
I'm the mom here. I wish I'd found this site sooner. The semester at Alternative School has practically ruined my son's life, and mine as well. He wasn't able to continue the accelerated courses he'd always been in and is now behind on his math track because the Alternative school didn't offer Algebra I for his grade! He wasn't allowed to attend any district functions, which included events involving his other family members. This was even devastating to his grandparents, two of which were suffering from cancer at the time. BOTH died before he was "released" from Alternative School. I have no doubt that the stress of seeing their first grandchild treated like a criminal hindered their treatment. I still get sick to my stomach thinking about his time there...strip searches, ridicule, poor instruction, etc. Two years later, we are still suffering the consequences of this injustice. Time has not healed us. My heart goes out to anyone who has been through this. THE LAWS IN MISSISSIPPI MUST CHANGE!! If you have any advice for me, please let me know. Thanks for reading!
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