The Observation Deck

Please read the thread on Lakewood's Zero Tolerance Policy. What if any changes do you think should be made in regards to this?

1) Should defending yourself be subject to suspension?

2) Should giving a friend some tylenol when they have a headache be subject to suspension?

3) Should bringing a paring knife to school in your lunch to cut your apple be subject to suspension.

Who should make the decisions about where the line is drawn? A teacher? The principal? Should it be handled on a case by case basis - or does that offer preferential treatment?

Dear Lynn and Fellow Observers,

Thank you for your question. On the one hand, I believe that all rules must be followed. On the other hand, I believe that we should not have rules that we do not want to enforce.

I also believe that every disciplinary decision – even those in your hypothetical – made by the Lakewood City Schools needs to be made on a case-by-case basis in light of the rules currently in place. As a school board member, I will support the legal, disciplinary decisions of the Administration.

The Lakewood City Schools has no option but to adopt a policy of “zero toleranceâ€Â￾ as it is a legal mandate. Specifically, the Ohio General Assembly has mandated that “the board of education of each city, exempted village, and local school district shall adopt a policy of zero tolerance for violent, disruptive, or inappropriate behavior, including excessive truancy, and establish strategies to address such behavior that range from prevention to intervention.â€Â￾ R.C. 3313.534.

It must be emphasized that "zero tolerance" is not a concept that is blindly used where no real wrongdoing or no real threat to school safety has occurred – nor do I believe that it is being used in that manner by the Lakewood City Schools. Zero tolerance simply means that there is a consequence for every student's conduct. For the most part, the Administration has discretion in determining the nature of that consequence.

I cannot begin to respond to the post entitled, “Lakewood High's Zero Tolerance for Fighting.â€Â￾ I can, however, state that no form of student harassment or bullying can ever be tolerated and Board Policies 5517 and 5517.01 must always be followed. I can also state that the Lakewood City Schools Board Policy 5611 clearly sets forth the process that must be followed if a student or parent wants to appeal the discipline decision of the Lakewood City Schools. These policies can be viewed by clicking here.

Again, thank you for your question.

Thank you for your response Mr Markling

I have a question regarding "cyberbullying"

The code you so helpfully linked to specifically sets down policies regarding school or school-sponsored activities. However, the "cyberbullying" section refers to activities such as instant messaging, personal web sites, etc, which are often done off school property and during non-school hours, including summer vacations and holidays.

It seems like there is a bit of a contradiction there?

If Billy says on MySpace that "I hate Johnny and plan to kill him" is that a school matter or a police matter? And if the schools agree to investigate, do they not then "own" the issue, at least partly, from a legal standpoint?
If Billy meets Johnny at Burger King in the middle of July, two months after graduation, and follows through on his threat, are the schools liable because they knew about it?

The idea that schools should be responsible for student behavior that takes place off property and outside school hours is somewhat new. I guess I can understand how some school people would be unclear of their roles.

Interested in any legal opinions on this??

Mr.Markling,

Just double checking so I understand the board policy 5500..

if a student threatens to beat up another student AT SCHOOL or at a school function, it's a school matter, correct?

or if a student threatens to beat up another student on a sunday afternoon at lakewood park, it's then a police matter alone?

With tragedies like Columbine where threats were posted on the attackers website and internet journals, I think that all threats should be taken seriously.


thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions!

Ivor Karabatkovic wrote:Mr.Markling,

Just double checking so I understand the board policy 5500..

if a student threatens to beat up another student AT SCHOOL or at a school function, it's a school matter, correct?

or if a student threatens to beat up another student on a sunday afternoon at lakewood park, it's then a police matter alone?

With tragedies like Columbine where threats were posted on the attackers website and internet journals, I think that all threats should be taken seriously.


thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions!

Ivor,

You are correct. All threats should be taken seriously. All threats should be reported to the Lakewood City Schools and/or the Lakewood Police Department.

Regarding a school discipline decision, the Lakewood City Schools will need to make a decision as to whether the misconduct is, in fact, school related. Your second hypothetical appears, at first glance, to not be school related, but should still be reported because the Sunday event may have been caused by something that took place in the classroom on Friday. Again, it is a case-by-case analysis.

The Administration needs to know that their legal disciplinary decisions will be supported by the school board.