Student Suspended for Jaywalking After School

[DudeAsInCool]

Whitby student suspended for jaywalking

Girl, 17, told her actions posed a 'safety issue'

Mar 11, 2004

David Blumenfeld, Staff Writer

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WHITBY -- A Grade 12 student at Anderson Collegiate was given a one-day suspension by the vice-principal for allegedly jaywalking after school.

Kelly Simo, 17, said the streetlights at Anderson and Crawforth streets, a block north of the school, were yellow and then turned red when she was halfway through the intersection as she walked home Feb. 4.

"The next morning when I went to school, she called me down to the office...and (said), 'I have to suspend you for jaywalking,'" Kelly said, adding vice principal Pauline Langmaid insisted the light was red when she went across the street. She was told to stay home on Friday, Feb. 6. She complied with the suspension, but her mother is battling the school over what she calls a "ludicrous" decision.

Kelly, a Girl Guide since the age of five, said she was bewildered by Ms. Langmaid's accusation of misconduct.

She noted the alleged incident occurred off school property and outside of regular school hours. She said she wasn't even offered a warning.

Jackie Simo, the girl's mother, said Ms. Langmaid told her it was a "safety issue" and the school would have to set an example for its junior students.

"I said, 'You've got to be kidding. There are kids in (schools) with drugs, weapons, alcohol, violence...but you're suspending her because she crossed the light?' said Ms. Simo.

"What I was told was the school day does not end until my daughter is in the house. I laughed and said, 'So if my daughter gets hit by a car, is mugged, raped...assaulted, is the school going to accept responsibility because she has not walked in (my) door?'"

"What I was told was, 'Let's not get carried away...'

"The whole thing is absolutely ludicrous. This is a kid they suspended because she crossed (on) a yellow light."

Ms. Simo said immediately after she met with the vice principal she went to the Durham District School Board to meet with the school's trustees.

She said she was told she could not appeal the decision because it was a single-day suspension, but was assured it would not stay on Kelly's permanent record.

Nevertheless, Ms. Simo said she has contacted a human rights lawyer to get it reversed.

"I'm not letting this go. I will fight this to the end because no student should be punished for crossing a light on their own time," she said.

"There's enough stress in my daughter's life - trying to get through Grade 12 and into college - to have this thrown at her. She was absolutely devastated. This is a kid that's never been in trouble before."

Speaking on behalf of Anderson Collegiate, principal John Morrison insisted schools are "very reasonable in the way they approach things."

"Let's just leave it at that," he said. "I'm not going to speak about individual student suspensions or anything along those lines. If this mother has an issue, she needs to continue to speak to us about it."

Mr. Morrison said the school followed the Education Act in regards to the matter, which allows for suspensions for incidents taking place outside of regular school hours or off school property, however jaywalking is not listed as an infraction.

If anything, Kelly said maybe a detention could have been issued.

"But not pulling me out of school all day long and making me miss my classes," she said.

http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/youth/news/...p-2009322c.html

[DudeAsInCool]

:reallymad:

[Ken]

That ranks pretty high up there on my list of the "most retarded things i've ever heard".

For lack of a better question, WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!

[Shawn]

"What I was told was the school day does not end until my daughter is in the house. I laughed and said, 'So if my daughter gets hit by a car, is mugged, raped...assaulted, is the school going to accept responsibility because she has not walked in (my) door?'"

"What I was told was, 'Let's not get carried away...'

hypocrites :soapbox:

[Ken]

"What I was told was, 'Let's not get carried away...'

Yeah! Let's not make too much sense now, you might make us feel inadequate and stupid, which is what we really are...

[DudeAsInCool]

Sad to say, I actually got a ticket for Jaywalking at UCLA.. I was honored the night before and ticketed the next day

[Ken]

Maybe we should call her C-Jaywalking!

http://www.beatking.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7407

[Shawn]

Ouch. Painful punster.

[ASUmusicMAN]

I usually never say this, but I hope she sues and I hope she wins and I hope the administration of the school has a horrible and severe punishment. Such stupidity has NO place in any school ANYWHERE. You want a power trip? Get some of your students into decent colleges so they might do better off than you obviously have....use your power for that.