Student suspended over call from mom in Iraq
Friday, May 6, 2005 Posted: 12:54 PM EDT (1654 GMT)
COLUMBUS, Georgia (AP) -- A high school student was suspended for 10 days for refusing to end a cell phone call with his mother, a soldier serving in Iraq, school officials said.
The 10-day suspension was issued because Kevin Francois was "defiant and disorderly" and was imposed in lieu of an arrest, Spencer High School assistant principal Alfred Parham said.
The confrontation Wednesday began after the 17-year-old junior got a call at lunchtime from his mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, who left in January for a one-year tour with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion.
Cell phones are allowed on campus but may not be used during school hours. When a teacher told him to hang up, he refused. He said he told the teacher, "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."
Parham said the teen's suspension was based on his reaction to the teacher's request. He said the teen used profanity when taken to the office.
"Kevin got defiant and disorderly," Parham said. "When a kid becomes out of control like that they can either be arrested or suspended for 10 days. Now being that his mother is in Iraq, we're not trying to cause her any undue hardship; he was suspended for 10 days."
That is bullshit. How often is this kid going to be able to talk to his mom. If he was ordering pizza then yes suspend him, but he was talking to his mother in a war when she can't get a phone line very much. assess.
On another note things for me are going fairly good. Sold two farms and have two fairly good prospects. Plus someone else looking at an acreage. There are baby calves hitting the ground like hail. One born every 12 hours. The bull was a very busy boy. I am pondering the posibility of going out to ohio some point this summer to see angela. It would be interesting to see what things are like out there. I think I can get tickets for under $300 round trip. My dog has eaten two garden hoses now. She must have a realy strong laxative somewhere. I am looking forward to the graduation thing. for the most part when I am done at work, I am done. Not much homework of required reading. well that should be enough randomness for now. Later
COLUMBUS, Georgia (AP) -- A high school student was suspended for 10 days for refusing to end a cell phone call with his mother, a soldier serving in Iraq, school officials said.
The 10-day suspension was issued because Kevin Francois was "defiant and disorderly" and was imposed in lieu of an arrest, Spencer High School assistant principal Alfred Parham said.
The confrontation Wednesday began after the 17-year-old junior got a call at lunchtime from his mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, who left in January for a one-year tour with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion.
Cell phones are allowed on campus but may not be used during school hours. When a teacher told him to hang up, he refused. He said he told the teacher, "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."
Parham said the teen's suspension was based on his reaction to the teacher's request. He said the teen used profanity when taken to the office.
"Kevin got defiant and disorderly," Parham said. "When a kid becomes out of control like that they can either be arrested or suspended for 10 days. Now being that his mother is in Iraq, we're not trying to cause her any undue hardship; he was suspended for 10 days."
That is bullshit. How often is this kid going to be able to talk to his mom. If he was ordering pizza then yes suspend him, but he was talking to his mother in a war when she can't get a phone line very much. assess.
On another note things for me are going fairly good. Sold two farms and have two fairly good prospects. Plus someone else looking at an acreage. There are baby calves hitting the ground like hail. One born every 12 hours. The bull was a very busy boy. I am pondering the posibility of going out to ohio some point this summer to see angela. It would be interesting to see what things are like out there. I think I can get tickets for under $300 round trip. My dog has eaten two garden hoses now. She must have a realy strong laxative somewhere. I am looking forward to the graduation thing. for the most part when I am done at work, I am done. Not much homework of required reading. well that should be enough randomness for now. Later