ADVIL! Nooooooooooooo!!!!!

[richlevy]

This reminds me a little bit of the Star of David 'gang symbol' incident. The usual stages of this process are:

1) School board comes up with asinine overreaching policy and expells or suspends some unlucky student.

2) Student and parents protest to the school district, which closes ranks with school and upholds the schools action.

3) Parents hire private trial lawyer and/or ACLU or other advocacy group.

4) Parent threaten to sue or actually sue school for amount in the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

5) If case is interesting enough, national media picks up story and school district is held up to public ridicule.

6) School district hires lawyer or finally talks to their lawyer, who tells them their case is unwinnable.

7) School districts insurance carrier tells them to settle or else.

8) School district announces settlement, blames miscommunication, sunspots, aliens, on 'regrettable misunderstanding', and puts enough spin on apology to cause the earth to wobble slightly in its orbit.



I checked one of the links on the Advil story at http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/...lsion001.shtml

The most interesting part of the article is this:

Superintendent Ken Kruithof said after the board meeting that the school system is following a state law that requires a one-year expulsion and is being consistent with the system's "zero-tolerance" policy.

But another school official said earlier Thursday that having medication on campus does not automatically lead to a one-year expulsion.

"After an investigation and a hearing then, if necessary, punishment is administered. It could be no punishment," said Betty McCauley, Bossier schools student services director.

Disciplinary action can range from in-school suspension to placement at the system's alternative school or expulsion from the system.

So one official does not believe they have any discretion and another believes there are a wide range of remedies. This is the equivalent to someone telling a defendent "Well, we're not really sure, but its either mandatory life or 3 months".

Don't these idiots even know their own rules?

This is why trial lawyers, for all of their villification by the press and politicians, are actually a neccesary component in our system. It seems obvious that the school officials, having made a decision, will not back down. No public officials have an incentive to step in. Only a person or group who wants to make a point, like the ACLU, or someone who can make a profit would be willing to step in.

I am sure that the girl's parents are already sifting through offers at this time.