BCT Editorial – 10/19/04

This page was last updated on October 19, 2004.

Beyond belief; Editorial; Beaver County Times; October 19, 2004.

I agree with the editorial when it criticizes zero-tolerance policies, but the editorial fails to note the source of the problem.

The editorial concludes with, “Anyone with an inch of common sense could see that this was an innocent mistake. But zero-tolerance policies don’t allow for innocent mistakes. We can only hope the courts have more sense than school district officials and dismiss this case.”

Unfortunately, the editorial fails to recognize that the courts the editorial hopes to “have more sense than school district officials” are the same courts that caused the problem.

The reason for zero-tolerance policies is that school district officials were pilloried when they used common sense. Regardless of the circumstances, officials were sued for unequal treatment. For example, treating a kid who had some aspirins differently than a kid with cocaine was deemed “discrimination.”

It does matter when we elect and/or appoint judges who legislate from the bench.