Randy Cassingham's Blog

Posted by Owen in North Carolina on March 31, 2009:

I hope this gets people aroused. There are not enough parents involved in their child's education. A few years ago, our school Board held a series of meetings for public input and information. When I went to the meeting for my third of the county, I was the public! The irony is that we homeschooled all our children, so I was going as a citizen, not a parent. Zero tolerance does not tolerate contradiction. A new principal in a nearby county was almost prosecuted several years ago. A rusty BB gun was found left on a school bus, and he decided not to call the police. (All firearms must be reported.) Fortunately, allowance was made for his lack of experience and he did not get taken to court. I never saw a report on the gun owner.

Posted by dennis, san francisco on April 1, 2009:

Ralph NY is correct. The excuse that "I was only following orders" is blather. All it means is that instead of being a lone lawbreaker you're part of a gang of lawbreakers.

In a trial, the one who pulls the trigger is usually the one who gets the stiffest sentence.

Posted by Aubrey, Breaux Bridge, LA on April 1, 2009:

While I have always questioned the validity of zero tolerance policies, I had never quite believed that an adult who supposedly cares for children (assumed by their chosen vocation) could be so willing to commit such an egregious act against a child. The nurse who "was just following orders" was just as responsible as the principal who gave them. As an adult...and a rather introverted one at that, I couldn't imagine myself following such orders. Employment be damned, I would have been the first on the phone with the girl's parents and local law enforcement. All of the adults who participated in the humiliation of that poor girl need some of your "Get Out of Hell Free" cards...a whole stack of them for that single incident. I hope to God that I will never be faced with a situation like that with my own children...I'd need a stack of the cards for myself after I got through with those people.

Posted by Ed from Richmondville, NY on April 2, 2009:

When I took my Education Law class from my grad degree in 1991 from SUNY Albany we told told one thing to ALWAYS remember about searches: WE ARE NOT THE POLICE! Police do searches, school administrators contain (hold in detention, office, whatever) the child until the child's parent(s) & police get there; we then turn the matter over to the appropriate authorities. I wish that some of these school officials would start earning their pay by doing what we, the tax payers pay them to do: THINK.

Posted by Daniel, Ottawa, Canada on April 8, 2009:

Such an outrage, but perhaps going to the supreme court will, in the end, stop the zero tolerance outrages. I feel sorry for the girl, though, having to go through this for the past five years. I'll be most interested in the outcome of the court case.

Posted by Lee, Houston on April 9, 2009:

Maybe the punishment for the school administrators guilty should be a strip search ... By the student and her parents.

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No way: that would be cruel and unusual punishment -- for Savana and her parents.... -rc

Posted by betsy-katy texas on April 13, 2009:

I was outraged and horrified when I heard about this. Americans so willingly consider handing over power to another individual. those in "power' seek these positions and wield it like a poisonous sword. WAKE UP AMERICA stop being manipulated into orwellian subservience! We are chasing money right now but what good will it be when we are all automatons? PAY ATTENTION AND GIVE A DAMN!

Posted by Jack, Maryland on April 19, 2009:

Without apology, a school -- a place of learning and development -- took a perfectly good student and without parental notice proceeded to psychologically rape her? I cursed out my son's teacher for not allowing him to put his name on a paper he just turned in and then failing him for it. I would've put the VP and nurse into the freakin floor if they did this to him.

Posted by Frankie, Colorado on April 21, 2009:

This wasn't merely "overzealous". It was sexual harassment! Given the prevalence of pedophiles and child abusers among school staff, it would set a terrible precedent to allow administrators to strip children on a whim. Yes, there's concern about drugs. An equally or more grave concern is sexual, emotional, and physical abuse of children in our schools by unsavory school district employees. Does any parent really want some unhealthy administrator getting his or her jollies by being allowed to undress children?!! I thought we were supposed to be teaching children how to protect themselves from sexual abuse. This would teach them to be compliant, helpless victims.

Posted by Dave, NJ on April 22, 2009:

I cannot believe this is even being discussed. No strip searching children without a parent or lawyer present! (period) There is nothing... NOTHING that supports an immediate non-parental consented strip search of a minor. This Redding case is appalling. The circumstances leading to it are reprehensible and I hope the community has called for the Vice-Principal's head.