OT: Curious What Others Think

[Phantom Warrior]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/varsity-defensive-end-kicked-off-team-suspended-writing-094105586.html

Suspended from school for four days. Dismissed from football team. Reactions?

[TheSultan]

Kicked off the team? Yep. Suspended? Eh...don't think so. His actions make him look bad and now he's been turned into a victim.

[IWB]

My first question is, why did this go beyond the teacher and student? There are no threats, it isn't vulgar, so why did this kid's teacher take the poem 'upstairs'?

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

I think even kicked from the team is harsh... Was is stupid? Absolutely, but I think a 2-3 game suspension would be appropriate and then move on. The kid is definitely not a victim here though, it's a good learning lesson for life that there are consequences for saying certain things.

[Markedman]

It said he performed the poem in class so my guess is other students spread the word not the teacher.


My first question is, why did this go beyond the teacher and student? There are no threats, it isn't vulgar, so why did this kid's teacher take the poem 'upstairs'?

[MU88]

Nothing should have happened. He wrote a poem. Not a very good poem, but a poem. No threats. Was it mean spirited? Sure, but so is a lot of poetry. Walt Wittman has a fetish for naked little boys in his works, and yet, his poems are still read in many schools. And yet, we suspend a kid for badmouthing someone a teammate in a poem. Just silly.

[IWB]

It said he performed the poem in class so my guess is other students spread the word not the teacher.

Got it - sorry, didn't pick up on that.

[Goose85]

Not everyone in a football locker room likes each other, and that is expected and ok as long as they play together on the field.

If every kid who questioned a coach, called out a teammate or said something to a teammate, or got in a fight on the practice field with a teammate was suspended for for multiple games my guess is there would be a lot of kids suspended every season.

Calling out a teammate ouside of the team environment - not smart. Calling out a coach in public - not smart.
Suspending the kid shows some thin skin on the coach's behalf.

[MUMac]

The AD is the Coach and also the Dean of Students. Seems like a power play here. I don't care if it was performed or just written. It was not bullying or hazing, it was completing an assignment. Why would the teacher have an assignment like this in the first place? As I have seen it reported, the assignment was to write about something that made them angry. Then you suspend him and kick him off the team when he does just that? I am guessing this school loses it's argument and the lawsuit. They are more foolish than the kid was.

[QuetteHoops]

Nothing should have happened. He wrote a poem. Not a very good poem, but a poem. No threats. Was it mean spirited? Sure, but so is a lot of poetry. Walt Wittman has a fetish for naked little boys in his works, and yet, his poems are still read in many schools. And yet, we suspend a kid for badmouthing someone a teammate in a poem. Just silly.

Exactly!! There are much worse ways to express yourself then through poetry. It's actually a joke that there was a punishment.

[unclejohn]

If the football coach wants to kick him off the team, I guess I can see that, although it strikes me as rather petty. I doubt it makes much difference, as the team has already lost seven of eight games. How many more do they have left, anyway? But assigning a student the task of expressing his emotions in writing and then suspending him for doing so strikes me as wrong. What are they going to suspend students for next? Supporting the wrong political party? Having a controversial opinion on issues? It would be one thing if he expressed an opinion, "Somebody should kill you" or "(Fill in the group) are all slimy and should die," but "You're a lousy football coach, and you favor your less-than-talented son?" I think not.

[IWB]

Same applies to Jameel McKay's decision to transfer. In this day in age the worst thing you can possibly do to someone is to hurt their feelings. Physical assault? Rob them? Steal from them? No big deal. Hurt their feelings and you will pay!