simply unbelievable

[rainbowdemon]

The lengths these people went to just to bust a kid for a little bit of weed!!

New Brighton administrator

rebuts police report

By: Larissa Theodore, Times Staff

06/01/2007

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PULASKI TWP. - New Brighton Area Superintendent John Osheka said Friday that school administrators acted appropriately when they refused to provide New Brighton Area police the name of a juvenile accused of possessing marijuana on school property.

On April 16, police learned that administrators had confiscated a substance thought to be marijuana from a high school student. School officials refused to provide the teen's name without a search warrant, so police obtained a warrant Thursday to learn the student's name.

Osheka said the name was not provided outright because it has always been school policy to follow federal laws, in this case the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act or FERPA, as a safeguard to students and a legal protection for the district.

"We are bound by law to protect the rights of students. Our parents entrust their kids to us, and therefore they have to know that we are going to ensure that their rights are protected under federal law, under the constitution," Osheka said.

According to the search warrant, high school Principal Ed Kasparek told police he took a plastic bag containing a small amount of marijuana from a student and gave it to the school resource officer, who is also a New Brighton police officer. The resource officer took the substance to the station and to Chief Charles VanFossan, who called the principal. Kasparek refused to provide the student's name, citing policy, police said.

Osheka said solicitors from the borough and the district met and decided that the police department would get a warrant or subpoena to legally obtain the student's name. Police obtained the warrant Thursday, served it at the school and were provided with the student's name, police said.

"When they had the proper papers, we turned everything over," Osheka said.

Neither police nor the school would identify the student. Osheka has not said whether the student has been disciplined.

Police said Friday they never had trouble in the past obtaining the names of students involved in a fight or a weapons violation and weren't aware the school had such a policy. Charges of marijuana possession will be filed against the juvenile once lab results confirm the substance, police said.

In his eight-year tenure, Osheka said the relationship between the district and the police department has been great.

He added that school policy will be shared with police, and said the district will continue to cooperate fully "within the legal limits of the law."

"I don't understand how it got to this point," Osheka said.

Larissa Theodore can be reached online at [email protected].

©Beaver County Times Allegheny Times 2007

I'm almost ashamed to admit I used to live in that town.

[vernarial]

I agree. They need to decriminalize herb. This is a waste of taxpayer money to give a teen what will probably amount to a fine and probation, or even worse ruin an good kids life because he had a bit of weed. FFS! Of course all you stoners out there need to use some common sense. Don't bring your weed to school or anywhere else you think it might be discovered by the Man. Keep it where you can smoke it in reasonable safety.

[rainbowdemon]

^^

And I agree with you!!

My daughter graduated from that same school. She was a bit of a stoner back then too. I guess she was lucky enough to have been spared the high school gestapo!!

[slum_goddess]

They need to decriminalize herb.

but think of the chiiiiiiiiiildren!