Posted on 03/20/2014 11:55:06 AM PDT by nickcarraway
We teach kids that honesty is the best policy, but at one Virginia Beach middle school it might be better to keep the truth to yourself.
Last Thursday at Bayside Middle School, sixth grader Adrionna Harris came to the aide of a classmate who was cutting his arm. She faces expulsion for taking a razor from the student, throwing it away and convincing him what he was doing wasn’t right. She thought she was doing the right thing, so on Friday she told the school administration what happened. The way school officials responded led to this question: was the school’s zero tolerance policy taken too far?
Instead of getting praise from the school administration, Adrionna got a 10 day suspension with recommendation for expulsion. The interesting thing — the only reason Adrionna got suspended was because she admitted what happened. The alleged weapon was thrown away, and it was her word alone that led to her suspension.
“I was shocked and surprised. I was very shocked that a student would get suspended for saving another child,” said Rachael Harris, Adrionna’s mother. “The school system over-reached absolutely.”
The school’s own details of the event state Adrionna reported the student had a razor blade. She admitted taking it from the student then throwing the blade away.
“I took the razor blade, and then I threw it away immediately … I didn’t carry it around the school … I didn’t use it against anyone … I threw it away,” she told 10 On Your Side.
“I felt she did the right thing,” said Rachael Harris. “Under the circumstances, she thought he would bleed out, as he was cutting himself, and there was no teacher in sight. It was a 911 situation, and there wasn’t time to find a teacher.”
We asked Adrionna, if she would do the same thing again, knowing she would get suspended for holding the blade.
“Even if I got in trouble, it didn’t matter because I was helping him … I would do it again even if I got suspended, yes,” she said.
Most frustrating to the Harris family is they feel like they were ignored — none of their calls were returned about the incident until 10 On Your Side got involved. WAVY.com made calls and went to the school. We called school board members, who didn’t want to comment, but calls finally came in to the Harris family.
“It is amazing. They are listening to us now … she should be back in school tomorrow and that would be fair,” said Rachael Harris.
Wednesday night, Virginia Beach City Public Schools agreed to do something that makes the Harris family really happy — they’ve moved Adrionna’s suspension hearing, which was supposed to be in ten days, to Thursday.
The Harris family hopes after the hearing, where everything is explained again, that Adrionna will be allowed back to class on Friday or at the latest Monday.
You can count on WAVY.com to keep you updated on what happens.
That is the message but the lesson is to do what is right and then lie to the government. Who would have thougth the middle class would ever need a “no snitching” campaign.
This is nuts.
This really is child abuse....God help Amerika
Once again, so-called academics prove themselves to be the most narrow-minded, rigid and bureaucratic people you will ever meet.
its a paradox, but the times have given it proof.
Maybe Adrionna (or one like her) is the next Patrick Henry, in wait. We need another call to arms: “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, Give me Liberty, or give me Death!” Unless that part of history has been expunged from their books...
Virginia Beach is 3-4 hours away from DC.
This crap has been going on for a long time. Similar thing happened in the 90’s in my hometown, except that the perp was waving gun around, and the other student talked him into surrendering it. Yep, the peacemaker got suspended (not sure if he was expelled), and the punishment was upheld by the school board.
Fornicate public schools.
The suspended student thought for herself and acted upon her innate morals and ethics. This cannot be allowed in the new and improved liberal fascist States of America. It is verboten to allow drones to think for themselves in the brave new world of the DNC and NEA.
This nation is truly upside-down. It breaks my heart and pisses me off to no end.
I don't think the Left would view its job as done until the students view Government as their religion.
These government school rats operate with impunity in the darkness.
Shine a light on them, let the world know what abuses they heap on the helpless, and they they scurry for cover, backpedaling looking for cover.
How can schools teach critical thinking, when they don’t even apply it to their jobs? Good grief. The “educated” educators are idiots.
Oh, I have not doubt of that. :^)
I agree with you. This girl is a person of real character.
Sue for millions
Any word on the boy and his family?
A wrongful life suit maybe?
Crazy world
She needs a private or home school
She did the right thing, and the school was wrong. The girl must be reinstated, given an apology, and a monetary compensation.
The idiots who did it must be fired without recourse.
This is not zero tolerance. It is stupidity.
That is true.
Every child needs private or home school.
Is that satire?
Critical thinking went out long ago
So what did the school administrators teach the children, keep your mouths shut and watch another child kill themselves or you also will be expelled.
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