Post by title1parent on May 5, 2009 5:16:10 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1558243,D204-disciplinary-policy_NA050509.article
D204 board OKs controversial disciplinary policy
May 5, 2009
By TIM WALDORF twaldorf@scn1.com
The debate appears over.
Indian Prairie School District 204's board now appears ready to approve changes to its discipline policy that stemmed from the mid-November off-campus sexual assault involving three Gregory Middle School students.
The board approved a formal "first reading" of the changes, which means it will likely approve the new policy at its June 8 meeting.
Kurt Bradshaw, who was later named the board's new president, said he didn't know where the rest of the board stood on the proposal, but he was ready to move forward.
"I know we've wordsmithed it quite a bit and talked about it from a number of different angles, and I don't know that it is exactly what any one of us would have come up with, given the seven different perspectives that are at the table," he said. "But I think it is kind of in that common ground — that place where we can really reach compromise — that provides a benefit versus what is there right now, which is not a whole lot of direction on an issue that hopefully comes up very infrequently."
The proposed policy states that "regardless of the location of the conduct, a student who has been charged, convicted, pled guilty or determined delinquent, in a court of law in connection with a violent felony against another student assigned to the same attendance may be assigned to another school within the district for a period of time determined by the administration on a case-by-case basis, if the administration finds that the interests of any student or the school warrant such reassignment."
The policy incorporates softened wording suggested by outgoing board member Jeannette Clark as well as board vice President Alka Tyle and board member Cathy Piehl.
"One thing that I was hoping for throughout this process was to make sure that we always left the door open to take each case on a case-by-case basis," Clark said. "I didn't necessarily want to tie the hands of the board and or the administration, and I do think we achieved that with the policy that is in front of us."
For months now, the District 204 board has worked with its legal counsel to develop a discipline policy to address the sort of situation brought about by the mid-November off-campus sexual assault involving three Gregory Middle School students. That situation has the 11-year-old alleged victim of the off-campus sexual assault still attending the same school as one of the accused attackers — an 11-year-old boy who is facing felony charges of sexual assault and sexual abuse stemming from the incident.
The alleged victim's father addressed the board Monday. Pointing to recent actions taken by Barrington High School officials, who have suspended a student accused of rape, he again expressed his frustration at the board's inaction.
"They acted in three days," he said of Barrington officials. "We stand here nearly six months after the assault, and three months after we informed the board.
"What they (Barrington) did is instructive and should challenge your action and your legal advice," he continued. "What they did not do is equally instructive. The superintendent didn't keep it from the board for three months. They did not say they needed a new policy. They did not say they are waiting for Darlene Senger to pass a law. They did not say the victim had a no contact order and, therefore, they couldn't do anything. The school board president did not refer to the victim's father as an (expletive deleted).
"They simply acted — quickly, decisively and compassionately."
D204 board OKs controversial disciplinary policy
May 5, 2009
By TIM WALDORF twaldorf@scn1.com
The debate appears over.
Indian Prairie School District 204's board now appears ready to approve changes to its discipline policy that stemmed from the mid-November off-campus sexual assault involving three Gregory Middle School students.
The board approved a formal "first reading" of the changes, which means it will likely approve the new policy at its June 8 meeting.
Kurt Bradshaw, who was later named the board's new president, said he didn't know where the rest of the board stood on the proposal, but he was ready to move forward.
"I know we've wordsmithed it quite a bit and talked about it from a number of different angles, and I don't know that it is exactly what any one of us would have come up with, given the seven different perspectives that are at the table," he said. "But I think it is kind of in that common ground — that place where we can really reach compromise — that provides a benefit versus what is there right now, which is not a whole lot of direction on an issue that hopefully comes up very infrequently."
The proposed policy states that "regardless of the location of the conduct, a student who has been charged, convicted, pled guilty or determined delinquent, in a court of law in connection with a violent felony against another student assigned to the same attendance may be assigned to another school within the district for a period of time determined by the administration on a case-by-case basis, if the administration finds that the interests of any student or the school warrant such reassignment."
The policy incorporates softened wording suggested by outgoing board member Jeannette Clark as well as board vice President Alka Tyle and board member Cathy Piehl.
"One thing that I was hoping for throughout this process was to make sure that we always left the door open to take each case on a case-by-case basis," Clark said. "I didn't necessarily want to tie the hands of the board and or the administration, and I do think we achieved that with the policy that is in front of us."
For months now, the District 204 board has worked with its legal counsel to develop a discipline policy to address the sort of situation brought about by the mid-November off-campus sexual assault involving three Gregory Middle School students. That situation has the 11-year-old alleged victim of the off-campus sexual assault still attending the same school as one of the accused attackers — an 11-year-old boy who is facing felony charges of sexual assault and sexual abuse stemming from the incident.
The alleged victim's father addressed the board Monday. Pointing to recent actions taken by Barrington High School officials, who have suspended a student accused of rape, he again expressed his frustration at the board's inaction.
"They acted in three days," he said of Barrington officials. "We stand here nearly six months after the assault, and three months after we informed the board.
"What they (Barrington) did is instructive and should challenge your action and your legal advice," he continued. "What they did not do is equally instructive. The superintendent didn't keep it from the board for three months. They did not say they needed a new policy. They did not say they are waiting for Darlene Senger to pass a law. They did not say the victim had a no contact order and, therefore, they couldn't do anything. The school board president did not refer to the victim's father as an (expletive deleted).
"They simply acted — quickly, decisively and compassionately."