Wednesday, May 8, 2002
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Wednesday, May 8, 2002 |
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Arrest of good student makes county, schools look stupid As a parent residing in Fayette County, I am appalled at the recent arrest and suspension of James Gilman. It certainly appears that the Fayetteville Police Department and school administrators ignored the facts of the investigation that showed that the machete was mistakenly left in the student's vehicle after being used in the course of his part-time landscaping job. If "zero tolerance" means "zero common sense," then I would suggest the school board reconsider the policy. As residents of Fayette County, we are generally well-educated and intelligent individuals. We should be able as parents, police officers, and educators to ascertain whether "willful intent to cause harm to others" was present. Are we saying as a school district and local police department that we are not willing or able to complete an investigation and make appropriate judgments based on the results of such an investigation? Do we not want to take the time to look at these cases individually and react appropriately? The manner in which this case was handled is embarrassing to Fayette County, the Fayette County High School and to the Fayette County Board of Education. More importantly, we have sent a well-intentioned and innocent student to jail with the threat of a criminal record and permanent expulsion from school. Has justice been served? I do not mean to undermine or discredit the BOE's intent to keep our students safe during school hours. Every parent in Fayette County and across the nation is horrified by the recent events as it relates to student violence in our schools. But we can't legislate "common sense." I know of no cases where a student has brought a machete into his or her school to use against fellow students or faculty. Can a machete be considered a weapon? Absolutely. But so too can a tire iron. There are plenty of cases where a tire iron was used to commit murder in society. Are we going to confiscate all tire irons from students' vehicles in the name of "zero tolerance"? Where does it stop? It is my opinion that we need to use the vast wealth of resources and intelligence in the community to determine what, when, where, why, and how. If I remember correctly from my high school days, it is only after we answer these questions that we determine the "whole story." Sharyn L. Copeland Fayette
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