Expelled student's mother alleges Ont. school violated son's rights
CBC, Monday March 2
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/st...rough-school.html?ref=rss&cmp=AFC-I78V0416691
A Peterborough mother is fighting to have her son's school expulsion for off-campus drug use revoked by claiming school officials violated his rights.
Jean Grant says her son, a Grade 11 student at Peterborough Collegiate, was expelled from school four months ago after being caught smoking marijuana with other classmates off school property.
Grant, who was to present her argument on Monday before the Child and Family Services Review Board, alleges the school's vice-principal found the information about the student's activities on a cellphone taken from another student.
She also alleges the school's vice-principal asked her son to confess to using marijuana and selling it.
Grant maintains that the school board ignored its own policy on disciplinary action.
"They have basically violated every single procedure that is put in place for an expulsion," Grant told CBC News.
The school officials also exceeded their authority, she said, by disciplining her son for activities that occurred off school grounds.
"If you start giving principals and vice-principals the power to start monitoring things off of school property, outside of school hours, it opens up too much for them to do," Grant said.
Police were called to the school when the teen was asked to confess to the crimes, but no charges were ever laid, she said.
The Kawartha Pine Ridge District school board would not comment on the allegations.
CBC, Monday March 2
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/st...rough-school.html?ref=rss&cmp=AFC-I78V0416691
A Peterborough mother is fighting to have her son's school expulsion for off-campus drug use revoked by claiming school officials violated his rights.
Jean Grant says her son, a Grade 11 student at Peterborough Collegiate, was expelled from school four months ago after being caught smoking marijuana with other classmates off school property.
Grant, who was to present her argument on Monday before the Child and Family Services Review Board, alleges the school's vice-principal found the information about the student's activities on a cellphone taken from another student.
She also alleges the school's vice-principal asked her son to confess to using marijuana and selling it.
Grant maintains that the school board ignored its own policy on disciplinary action.
"They have basically violated every single procedure that is put in place for an expulsion," Grant told CBC News.
The school officials also exceeded their authority, she said, by disciplining her son for activities that occurred off school grounds.
"If you start giving principals and vice-principals the power to start monitoring things off of school property, outside of school hours, it opens up too much for them to do," Grant said.
Police were called to the school when the teen was asked to confess to the crimes, but no charges were ever laid, she said.
The Kawartha Pine Ridge District school board would not comment on the allegations.
