Passing Notes in School! ? Call the Cops!

[Marty Redman]

What is this all about?  I found it in an article marked public on the LDNs website today:

On Friday, February 24, a student hand delivered a note to the high school office. The note was found waded [sic] up in the hallway. The message could have been interpreted to be vaguely threatening to the high school principal. It could also have been interpreted to not be threatening. Critical incident precautions were taken in cooperation with local law enforcement.

On Monday, February 27, the same student brought another note to the high school office. Again law enforcement was involved and it was quickly determined that the student wrote both notes and that there was no threat.

Based on the findings of the investigation, it was determined that the incident would be handled internally as a school discipline issue by the Ludington Area School District.

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What's going on in Ludington?  First a guy running a website that points out corruption by its officials is publicly excoriated for exercising his first amendment and FOIA rights.  Then some kid who writes two nonthreatening notes is brought to the attention of all and is going to suffer some discipline for it.  Is the First Amendment to the US Constitution still honored in your area or has there been some secession from the union.

[XLFD]

Larry,

For your information, section 13 (a) of the FOIA states the following is exempt from disclosure:  Information of a personal nature if public disclosure of the information would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of an individual's privacy.  There are further protections specifically for public schools.  We are not concerned with digging into any private individual's business, but we are concerend with what happened that required such significant actions of public resources, and why it is being covered with so few specifics. 

Maybe it would be something that would affect the safety and security of the hundreds of other students that go to school in that block that family's should be aware of.  Maybe it was the totally opposite and was just an over-reaction.  Or maybe it was handled according to Hoyle, in which case, I would be wondering why it was covered the way it was.  Curiosity should be part and parcel of digesting the news.

And if you wish to not hear anything further about it, wait about a month and the ground should be soft enough so that you can stick your head in it, LOL.

[easymoney]

Aquaman,

things are no where near the same as when we went to school. (pere marquette &LHS) I could draw as many pictures of guns as I wanted, or point my fingers like a gun and not have to be taken out in hand cuffs.

The zero tolerance put in place has become a complete joke , just saying, it could have been just about anything that brought in LE

Times have certainly changed

[Willy]

Easy

I think the people that run the schools are much more liberal then in the past and I think most of their new ideas are goofy.

[easymoney]

Thats putting it mildly

 

[AQUAMAN]

Mildly easy? Goofy Willy? Yeah, and a lot more mildly! Why are Bozo's (Administrators) being paid 6 figure incomes, and yes, teachers, mid to high 5 figures, to be such woosy's?  MY TEACHERS and Principals took the responsibilities of the jobs as they were expected to, DO YOUR JOB! If cops have to be there everyday, 8 hours or so, then the Scrweeel System is Wrong, and needs to be aborted, and then rectified to correct the current system of inept and defective practice. That's just an opinion Sir Lar.

[Marty Redman]

Thanks XLFD for you and your assistant getting to the bottom of what this might be for.  I disagree with Ralf that this is not worth looking into, but respect his stance on privacy.  If I were paying for the schools operating budget and the polices salaries, I'd be wanting some answers on whats draining my tax money.  Not particulars necessaryly, but enough to be able to let other parents figure out whether there was or is a problem.

Thanks to everyone for participating in this thread over the last couple of days, I think its my most popular one I started yet here.  Looks like we had some contraversy.

[AQUAMAN]

Thanks for making the thread available Marty, and yes, there are some too far out in left field, big city mentalities I would expect, to realize that a "police state mentality for scwrools" is not imho, a part of the new times a changin. Esp. for a little berg of Ludington. Maybe in Atlanta, Chicago, etc., where you have thousands of students attending the same place, but surely not over a wadded up piece of paper in the hallway, or outside the principal's office. Be interesting to see exactly what the note said, not the person writing it, I could care less about that personal artifact. I still say the scwrool's office and administrator's need to grow up themselves, and quit being so paranoid, or do they have reason to be? The bottom line is, this is strictly a matter between the school and the parents/kid, not an issue to be blown into a possible crime, when there is no smoke, don't call the fire dept. either. Makes a person wonder, what exactly are we paying for these days in the school system.

[XLFD]

My associate received a FOIA reply from the school today, and I have to admit that Cal DeKuyper did a really good job of responding to this request.  Very professional.  John Shay, take notes please.

The first attachment is the request, and the administrative reply. 

The second is the news release to various outlets, and what was basically printed verbatim by the LDN, including the misspelled "waded" instead of "wadded", as I think it wasn't partially submerged in water.

The third shows the notes; note the minor edits to protect privacy.

 

[XLFD]

Finally the last attachment, which includes the course of action that was taken during both incidents.  I believe it's a rather informal incident report, but it does preserve the privacy of the individual while telling what the response entailed.  Isn't this better than listening to third-hand information and rumors, or remaining in the dark about everything?

[AQUAMAN]

I see where Larry Lloyd was also included in the post, our Sir Lar? Makes ya wonder..........lol.