6 Days Suspension For Being Designated Driver?

[Flap Jack452]

My school has a 24/7 365 day a year drinking policy. This means that if you are ever caught drinking while enrolled at the school you will be punished by the school.

The first punishment is suspension. The length of the suspension is determined by many factors. While under suspension you are obviously unable to attend the school and receive zeroes on any assignments that are collected during that time. This is obviously very hurtful to your grades.

Upon being caught a second time for alcohol related offenses you are expelled. No questions asked, you're out.

This weekend a group of guys were out drinking. I would call these guys my friends, but I never hang out with them outside of school because I don't want any part of the drinking scene. As I understand it they were all drinking at one person's house and were leaving to spend the night at another's. One guy had to be home by his ridiculous 10:30 curfew on a saturday night and was pulled over for DUI by the police. He blew a .15 (.02 being over the legal limit for anyone under 21 years of age) and was expelled today, this was his second offense.

Now I get to the crux of this post. One of the guys was determined to the designated driver. As luck would have it we as also pulled over. He was completely sober but the other guys had open cans of beer in the car, which is illegal in the state of Georgia. Today we get to school and learn that he has been suspended six days. A similar situation happened last year where a student was caught driving people with open containers and no action was taken.

So, after that rather long setup, my question is this: Do you think my school was in the wrong to punish this guy? I know that he may have been hanging out with the wrong crowd but he did not do anything that violated the school rules. I personally think suspension is ridiculous, 6 days being absolutely insane.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

A 10:30 curfew is ridiculous?

Nah.

A 8-9:00 curfew is ridiculous. 10:30? Not so much.

They should have punished the driver less severely, maybe 2-3 days, because he still was with the drunk guys, knowing full well what they were doing. And still was breaking the law, sober or not.

 

[internetzealot1]

It sounds like they overstepped their own rules, so yes. Your school is wrong.

 

[Agayek]

The first guy you mention I feel was treated fairly, or at the very least the punishment was legitimate and within the bounds defined by the school. He was dumb enough to get caught twice, knowing ahead of time what the punishment was.

The second instance though is more than a bit ridiculous. He should not have been punished for not committing the violation. It's a gross violation of student rights, not to mention common sense.

 

[Aris Khandr]

Why the hell does your school get to decide what you do when not on their property? Is this a private school?

 

[Kpt._Rob]

Do I think it's wrong? Yeah, but the whole policy seems stupid to me.

Do I think that the school is justified, within the context of their rules, to suspend him? Absolutely. The idea of the rule is simply to discourage drinking, this guy was obviously involved in the drinking culture, and even if he hadn't been drinking himself that night, he was still breaking the law by transporting passengers who had open beer cans. There may not be a written rule saying that's what should happen, but it seems like a reasonable expression of the policy.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

Law says no open container dude, and I thought that's pretty commonsense.

Par for the course really, trying to fight the education system on disciplinary issues is like trying to fight airlines. You can't win.

 

[Flap Jack452]

The first guy you mention I feel was treated fairly, or at the very least the punishment was legitimate and within the bounds defined by the school. He was dumb enough to get caught twice, knowing ahead of time what the punishment was.

His first offense was actually on a school sponsored mission trip. He is actually a good kid and really nice guy, but obviously makes some dumb choices.

Why the hell does your school get to decide what you do when not on their property? Is this a private school?

Yes, it is a private school.

 

[Plurralbles]

that's fucking bullshit.

Also... Yeah that's it. Schools have no right policing kids during vacations... Hell, if it's not on school property and after school hours they also ought to not have any say in what students do.

This nanny'ing and, "You can't raise your own kids" attitude makes me sick.
But you are paying out the ass for it so.. whatever.

 

[Aris Khandr]

Why the hell does your school get to decide what you do when not on their property? Is this a private school?

Yes, it is a private school.

Then you're pretty much out of luck. You agree to their rules when you agree to go to the school.

 

[Astoria]

The designated driver shouldn't have been punished like that, he wasn't drinking. The school should encourage designated drivers actually. And can I ask just why the school gets to decide what you do out of school hours? It sounds like my old high school but taken to the extream.

 

[Flap Jack452]

They should have punished the driver less severely, maybe 2-3 days, because he still was with the drunk guys, knowing full well what they were doing. And still was breaking the law, sober or not.

/snip

I understand what you two are saying, but the same situation happened last year to a classmate of mine and he received no disciplinary action.

They should at least be consistent in their punishments, no?

 

[BonsaiK]

Do you think my school was in the wrong to punish this guy?

No.

This guy was keeping company of people doing something illegal and I'm sure that if the police pulled him over and noticed the open cans he'd be in trouble there too. It's his car so he's responsible for any actions taken inside it, if something happens which shouldn't then he should either rectify the situation or if he can't then he shouldn't be driving those people around. That the way it is, because if not, you could say stuff to a court like "it was my passenger who did the drive-by shooting, I didn't know anything about it, I was just driving".

the same situation happened last year to a classmate of mine and he received no disciplinary action.

They should at least be consistent in their punishments, no?

I agree with you. The other guy should have been suspended as well.

 

[Optional Opinion]

Was it his car? If it was and there were open drinks then yes the school is in the right.
A drink associated illegal activity I'm guessing breaches the school rules.
You would of signed forms at the beginning of the school year.

Bad luck? Yes.
A tad overzealous? Perhaps.
Justified. Yes

It's all part of growing up.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

They should have punished the driver less severely, maybe 2-3 days, because he still was with the drunk guys, knowing full well what they were doing. And still was breaking the law, sober or not.

/snip

I understand what you two are saying, but the same situation happened last year to a classmate of mine and he received no disciplinary action.

They should at least be consistent in their punishments, no?

Suspend you classmate, too. Also, this kid might have had it coming, and gotten off light for other things. And they nailed him with this. If they were evil, like my old disciplinarian was.

 

[WanderingFool]

A two strike rule like that is pretty harsh. Also, considering he was the responsible one, and gets punished for it, yeah, your school is wrong.

 

[Skratt]

There was an open can of beer. Don't want to get in trouble? Don't break the law. That's not too hard to understand is it?

 

[Bon_Clay]

What age you people are and if this is a private school are very important to these questions.

If its a private school, either stop drinking or go somewhere else. Its not about being fair, its about they make the rules and that's the end of it. But the second case is still pretty damn stupid, to punish someone being responsible enough to be designated driver. The people with the open beer should have been the only ones punished there. "Should" doesn't mean that's what they have to do though.

Same goes for the curfew, if you've got unreasonable parents then move out. If you're too young to move out, you can't expect to choose your own curfew.

If its a public school people should be protesting and throwing rocks at the local politicians for letting them have the school decide what people can and can't do outside of school.

 

[rdiggs]

The open can policy is fairly common from state to state but the police should be in charge of punishment. If a similar case happened in the school and no punishment was given then the school should remove the suspension or simultaneously punish the earlier offenders. Basically anything to maintain consistency to avoid favoritism or hypocrisy.