Having solved normal school problems..

Siji · Post by **Siji** » July 26, 2004, 1:50 pm

http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/youth/ne ... 9322c.html

Whitby student suspended for jaywalking
Girl, 17, told her actions posed a 'safety issue'

Mar 11, 2004
David Blumenfeld, Staff Writer

WHITBY -- A Grade 12 student at Anderson Collegiate was given a one-day suspension by the vice-principal for allegedly jaywalking after school.

Kelly Simo, 17, said the streetlights at Anderson and Crawforth streets, a block north of the school, were yellow and then turned red when she was halfway through the intersection as she walked home Feb. 4.

"The next morning when I went to school, she called me down to the office...and (said), 'I have to suspend you for jaywalking,'" Kelly said, adding vice principal Pauline Langmaid insisted the light was red when she went across the street. She was told to stay home on Friday, Feb. 6. She complied with the suspension, but her mother is battling the school over what she calls a "ludicrous" decision.

Kelly, a Girl Guide since the age of five, said she was bewildered by Ms. Langmaid's accusation of misconduct.

She noted the alleged incident occurred off school property and outside of regular school hours. She said she wasn't even offered a warning.

Jackie Simo, the girl's mother, said Ms. Langmaid told her it was a "safety issue" and the school would have to set an example for its junior students.

"I said, 'You've got to be kidding. There are kids in (schools) with drugs, weapons, alcohol, violence...but you're suspending her because she crossed the light?' said Ms. Simo.

"What I was told was the school day does not end until my daughter is in the house. I laughed and said, 'So if my daughter gets hit by a car, is mugged, raped...assaulted, is the school going to accept responsibility because she has not walked in (my) door?'"

"What I was told was, 'Let's not get carried away...'

"The whole thing is absolutely ludicrous. This is a kid they suspended because she crossed (on) a yellow light."

Ms. Simo said immediately after she met with the vice principal she went to the Durham District School Board to meet with the school's trustees.

She said she was told she could not appeal the decision because it was a single-day suspension, but was assured it would not stay on Kelly's permanent record.

Nevertheless, Ms. Simo said she has contacted a human rights lawyer to get it reversed.

"I'm not letting this go. I will fight this to the end because no student should be punished for crossing a light on their own time," she said.

"There's enough stress in my daughter's life - trying to get through Grade 12 and into college - to have this thrown at her. She was absolutely devastated. This is a kid that's never been in trouble before."

Speaking on behalf of Anderson Collegiate, principal John Morrison insisted schools are "very reasonable in the way they approach things."

"Let's just leave it at that," he said. "I'm not going to speak about individual student suspensions or anything along those lines. If this mother has an issue, she needs to continue to speak to us about it."

Mr. Morrison said the school followed the Education Act in regards to the matter, which allows for suspensions for incidents taking place outside of regular school hours or off school property, however jaywalking is not listed as an infraction.

If anything, Kelly said maybe a detention could have been issued.

"But not pulling me out of school all day long and making me miss my classes," she said.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » July 26, 2004, 1:54 pm

That's on my top ten list of most ridiculous things I have ever read.

miir · Post by **miir** » July 26, 2004, 1:58 pm

Hehe, I went to that school for a semester.
It's a pretty ordinary school in a nice, quiet neighbourhood in Whitby (suburb of Toronto).

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » July 26, 2004, 1:58 pm

Dumb.

But I don't think a one-day suspension would "absolutely devastate" anyone

Avryce · Post by **Avryce** » July 26, 2004, 2:14 pm

Cha ching long weekend!

Hesten · Post by **Hesten** » July 26, 2004, 2:14 pm

Do this mean that everone at the school can get days off just by crossing the street?

"Tomorrow we got a test kids, remember to study", and 20 kids charge across a red light

Siji · Post by **Siji** » July 26, 2004, 2:47 pm

I especially like the part where the school stated the school day wasn't over until the child walks through their front door.. and then started backtracking when the mother asked about something happening to her daughter on the way home if the school was responsible.

Adex_Xeda · Post by **Adex_Xeda** » July 26, 2004, 3:01 pm

Bah,

All of the kids should get together one day after school and perform a mass jaywalking.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » July 26, 2004, 3:28 pm

That's a pretty fucking stupid thing right there.

Marbus · Post by **Marbus** » July 26, 2004, 4:58 pm

Stupid people...

Niffoni · Post by **Niffoni** » July 26, 2004, 5:49 pm

Oh good. Because I was worried about the growing jaywalking crisis in North America. I'm glad to see they're finally addressing this instead of wasting time trying to make the public school system not suck.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » July 26, 2004, 6:03 pm

Jaywalking: a short-cut to death

39 pedestrians killed so far this year

By Kristina Chryssanthis

Jaywalking is on the rise in Toronto and has proven fatal time and again. But police say that crossing the street is not illegal as long as you don’t interfere with traffic.

Early Sunday morning 80-year-old Maria Eramo was attempting to cross Danforth Avenue when she was hit by a van. She later died at St. Michael’s Hospital. She was jaywalking when the van hit her.

She was the 39th pedestrian killed in Toronto traffic mishaps this year.

Jaywalking is serious stuff. I'd say detention and a movie on the hazards of jaywalking was in order though and not a suspension. It's not even illegal in canada!

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » July 26, 2004, 6:32 pm

Detention for something that's not even illegal? On what grounds, that it could possibly get them killed? Like pre-marital sex or smoking?

Adex_Xeda · Post by **Adex_Xeda** » July 26, 2004, 6:42 pm

A Darwinist (or George Carlin) would say that anyone not smart enough to survive an attempt at jaywalking has done society a favor.

Kguku · Post by **Kguku** » July 26, 2004, 7:53 pm

Jaywalking is a fineable offense in Toronto, up to $50.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » July 26, 2004, 8:13 pm

Kguku wrote:Jaywalking is a fineable offense in Toronto, up to $50.

...

But police say that crossing the street is not illegal as long as you don’t interfere with traffic.

...

Midnyte_Ragebringer · Post by **Midnyte_Ragebringer** » July 26, 2004, 8:18 pm

I think Michael Moore should expose this bullshit. I trust he will get to the real truth of it all. There's a conspiracy here somewhere.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » July 26, 2004, 9:04 pm

Dregor Thule wrote:
Kguku wrote:Jaywalking is a fineable offense in Toronto, up to $50.
...

But police say that crossing the street is not illegal as long as you don’t interfere with traffic.
...

So therefore we can conclude if you jaywalk and interfere with traffic you're (possibly) ending up with a $50 fine.

Makes sense to me!

Drasta · Post by **Drasta** » July 26, 2004, 9:27 pm

hmmm she was 80 ... chances are she was using a damn walker to get across the street ....

Wiever · Post by **Wiever** » July 26, 2004, 10:03 pm

Niffoni wrote:Oh good. Because I was worried about the growing jaywalking crisis in North America. I'm glad to see they're finally addressing this instead of wasting time trying to make the public school system not suck.

They are addressing the issues, one step at a time...

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » July 26, 2004, 10:04 pm

Between mailing dead fetus's to their mothers, Celine Dion and this, I can assume Canada has just as many fucked up people as the US.

Drasta · Post by **Drasta** » July 26, 2004, 10:10 pm

the real quetsion is .... would that happen in the usa?

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » July 26, 2004, 10:10 pm

Kylere wrote:Between mailing dead fetus's to their mothers, Celine Dion and this, I can assume Canada has just as many fucked up people as the US.

You definitely got a rich and diverse cross-section of the popullation. I guess I can infer all supposed native americans are raging idiots repressing their own homosexual desires.

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » July 27, 2004, 12:16 am

Drasta wrote:the real quetsion is .... would that happen in the usa?

I am sure it would Drasta, under some of the BS zero tolerance stuff kids have been banned for aspirin, having a plastic knife in their book bags and such.

Drasta · Post by **Drasta** » July 27, 2004, 1:39 am

yea true ... because we all know that a plastic knife or asprin is far more letal then a freshly sharpened pencil or a pen or some nice scissors ....

Truant · Post by **Truant** » July 27, 2004, 9:12 am

So then this principal has been granted the authority to uphold the law?
Specifically for things that happen outside of school campus grounds?

miir · Post by **miir** » July 27, 2004, 11:07 am

Winnow wrote:Jaywalking: a short-cut to death

39 pedestrians killed so far this year.....

blah blah blah...

Where do you find this shit, Winnow?

http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/modules. ... e&sid=1161

According to the Toronto police, there have been 13 pedestrian fatalities in Toronto this year(as of 13 days ago).

Adex_Xeda · Post by **Adex_Xeda** » July 27, 2004, 11:18 am

This is obviously the fault of the backwards Canadian method of stripeing roads with moose blood and bark pulp. Poor pedestrians never saw it coming.

Lynks · Post by **Lynks** » July 27, 2004, 11:20 am

http://observer.thecentre.centennialcol ... 112503.htm

The totals that Winnow posted were from this article written last year.

miir · Post by **miir** » July 27, 2004, 11:58 am

Cool, quoting a community college newspaper....

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » July 27, 2004, 12:02 pm

Plus you then get into the confusion of the city of Toronto and the GTA.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » July 27, 2004, 1:03 pm

miir wrote:Cool, quoting a community college newspaper....

Source: Mesa Community College Newspaper:

Miir has crabs!

Niffoni · Post by **Niffoni** » July 27, 2004, 1:48 pm

Kylere wrote:Between mailing dead fetus's to their mothers, Celine Dion and this, I can assume Canada has just as many fucked up people as the US.

I think most would agree that the nimrod per capita count is pretty close.

miir · Post by **miir** » July 27, 2004, 4:30 pm

Winnow wrote:
miir wrote:Cool, quoting a community college newspaper....

Source: Mesa Community College Newspaper:

Miir has crabs!