I don't absolve a parent's role, but it should start with informing the parents and letting them know that if there continues to be a problem, punishment will follow. But handing out punishment in the absence of communication is turning the school into an adversarial authority and an uncaring institution, the exact thing that fuels angry kids to act out.

Stories from the same state...
 

Source

Source

The schools in the state may be on alert because of issues like these above. Maybe that's why the punishment seems harsh. In context with stories like these (granted the 2nd story doesn't say if it's the students or not) I find what the school did to that kid to be just.

If the same incident happened to our family, he'd probably change his mind and issue us all firearms.
:)

I stand by my insistence that suspension isn't the answer. It's an answer, and I suppose any attempt is better than none, but I feel that this could have a negative repercussion if there is a bigger issue at hand with the child.

I was suspended once, for a prank. I carried the least part in it, had been a model student, and yet I got the greatest punishment. Not only was I suspended, I had to go to "Saturday School." The suspension was a mere nuisance, and I got to chill out at home. (I am not even sure mom knew what was really going on). My biggest problem was how angry I felt toward the school administration for my seemingly excessive punishment in relation to my crime. Had I been having other issues who knows where it could have led. It was in my senior year of high school, and I still carry a distrust of authority that I have no doubt was only affirmed by my incident.

I feel that there is almost no situation in which suspension would be the correct course of action. Nothing ever really gets learned with suspension. It's usually just another prime example of authority not really doing anything but pretending to punish. "Let's get so-and-so out of our hair." The most effective part of my punishment was probably the Saturday School. Even a detention would have made more sense (to me) than a suspension.

Oh well.

Distrust, yes. But are you emotionally scarred by the incident and more likely to become a Columbine-esque murderer because of it? I'm thinking, no. But you do remember the suspension, don't you? ;)

I was never suspended from school. I was never sent to the principal's office for my actions. (I voluntarily went to see the principal to complain about the shoddy job of teachers of mine, and I also went to protest the mandatory church services at my high school, but I never went because of something I did.) Why? Because I didn't do messed up things. Even when I was ten, I'd know that anything I put on homework goes directly to the teacher's eyes. I wasn't dumb.

I was raised to be accountable for my actions and if I mess up, I pay for it.

As was I, but I was never punished for the sake of punishment without accompanying dialog as to why what I did was wrong, to find out why I did it, and to discuss what a more appropriate behavior would have been. That's what's missing with the "Suspend first, ask questions later" attitude. The hypothetical kid did something wrong, but unless someone bothers to talk with him, learn why, and find out if he needs help finding better ways to express himself, nothing is solved. Best case, you've got a frustrated kid who feels he can't trust school administration. Worst case, you've given a troubled kid something to be angry about.

You, my friend, have not lived. Poor bugger. ;)

Got suspended myself for fighting... my parents always said, "Never hit first, but if they hit you, hit them back and make them bleed." And they supported me getting suspended for it, because that's exactly how it happened. Lost the fight, technically, but they were right that the person would never mess with me again.

But I guess you could see a disrespect for authority being bred by the fact that both people get suspended regardless of who the instigator was - like what, I'm just going to sit there and let some chica pound my face in so she can abuse me the rest of the school year? I don't think so.

Ha ha. :D
Being the son of a cop and a fundamentalist Catholic mom, I was an angel.
:blush:
Which means I merely influenced others to do mischief. :D
I never got into fights because I had bodyguards. One was named "Psycho" the other was a Kung Fu black belt. Also, everyone was scared of my dad... including me.