Jan and Bill Mohat, of Mentor, Ohio are suing the school district. Their son, Eric, committed suicide one day after a bully taunted him in class. The Mohat's believe that the school district was responsible for his death. A bully taunted Eric many days. He looks to be a skinny kid, affectionately called "twiggy" who his mother described as a "kind soul". He was bullied in … [Read more...]
CT School Bans Physical Contact
A Milford, CT middle school principal recently banned physical contact by students of any kind. This includes hugs, high-fives, and horseplay of any kind. The punishment, you ask - "Potential consequences and disciplinary action may include parent conferences, detention, suspension and/or a request for expulsion from school", the school's principal said. The reason for this … [Read more...]
Popularity of Failure
Have you noticed how popular it is these days to not be successful? I don't mean "not successful" to mean that people are praising homeless people for not being able to provide for themselves, but in general, people seem to be happier when they aren't successful.Just think about it. For those of you who gamble, say you go to the craps table, and put down $100. After a little … [Read more...]
Collegiate Bias
A few weeks ago I received a disturbing email from my college's President. It said: Despite our efforts over the past several years to develop a climate of respect and pride in social, cultural and ethnic diversity, there still remain individuals who resort to vulgar and racist comments to express their views. Although most members of our community are far beyond this kind … [Read more...]
Pay to Play
In an effort to prevent raising taxes where I live, the town council passed a "pay to play" program at the high school. The program is not unique to our town, but it basically makes the student athletes pay for the costs that used to be covered by the school, such as uniforms and other related items.Last week I read an editorial in our local paper from a citizen who was … [Read more...]