girl athlete leaves school......

[panther power]

Star student quits in protest

By Ginger Pope
Odessa American

A Permian athlete with a 4.2 grade-point average is withdrawing from school rather than accept punishment under the district's zero-tolerance policy.
Permian High School golfer Jordan Lee, who’s been on the varsity team since her freshman year, said she withdrew from her senior year at school to make a point — the zero-tolerance policy is absurd.
Lee was one of three Permian golf girls sent to the ECISD Alternative Education Center for 18 days.
The girls were given that punishment because they admitted to drinking alcohol while on a golf tournament in October in Abilene.
“I wish the school (district) would investigate a little more into their disciplining,” Jordan said. “Whether students drank alcohol seems to be more important than the whole sexual harassment thing.”
The investigation into Jordan and the other girls began after ECISD completed a Title IX investigation of a Permian teacher for misconduct with the student athletes. This misconduct reportedly occurred during the same weekend as the Abilene golf tournament.
The teacher resigned Jan. 27.
Jordan said the teacher brought alcohol to the girls at their hotel in Abilene.
“I feel like the whole situation would’ve been different if we would have brought it down there with us,” Lee said. “But he brought it — and it was more enticing.”
Junior class principal Roy Garcia investigated the incident this week at Permian and told the girls Wednesday of their punishment.
That’s when Jordan said her father, Melvin Lee, signed her out of school.
“It wasn’t an easy decision. I thought about it a whole day-and-a-half,” she said. “I only got about two hours of sleep the night before.”
She said she understands she and the others should be punished, but 18 days at the alternative center seemed too much to her and her parents, Melvin and Ruth Lee. She said a few days of suspension or in-school suspension seemed more reasonable.
Lee said she was at the alternative center for 12 days last year after she said school police found her father’s pocketknife in her car. She said her father had been in her car working on her speakers and left his knife in the car.
The knife was found during a random car search, she said.
Jordan said the thought of going back to the center was too much and that all the girls regret their decision.
“It was a heat-of-the-moment thing,” she said. “We all regret it, and we’re all willing to learn from it.”
Permian Principal Steve Brown said the punishment is in line with the district’s zero-tolerance policy, which includes alcohol.
“The purpose of that policy is to discourage youngsters to not participate in that activity,” Brown said.
Mike Atkins, ECISD attorney, said the zero-tolerance policy is part of the Texas Education Code. He said it states that a student shall be removed from the classroom if they violate the zero-tolerance policy. The district, however, determines the length of the punishment.
Jordan said she worries that withdrawing from school and getting a GED will hurt her chances of getting into a university, but she hopes to explain herself. Her plans are to go to Odessa College and then transfer to a university.
She also said she plans to keep up her golf game.

[bullfrog_alumni_02]

i think 18 days in an AEP is a little to leaniant(sp?). she got off easy for the crime she committed. i dont think what the girls or the teacher did was right at any level. i just think they got off way too easy. and she, the girl who whithdrew, has no right to say that zero-tolerance in this instance is too much.

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by panther power
“It wasn’t an easy decision. I thought about it a whole day-and-a-half,”...

...LOL

The reason she gave for dropping out of school is completely absurd. Take your punishment like a man (or woman). You knew the rules, you broke them, you earned the grand prize.

She's going to regret squandering away that 4.2 for the rest of her life. It only took her a day and a half to decide that she wanted to waste four years of work.

[CHS_CG]

Shoot our AEP center here, you can finish a semesters stuff in 6 weeks TOPS 18 days is nothing... i believe we get a semester for drinking or anything like that. it might even be more.

[44INAROW]

Wonder what makes her think SHE is exempt from the policy?

[injuredinmelee]

That tourney was at my course. Rained out. I guess the coach had quite the rainy day schedule.

[LH Panther Mom]

This is a perfect example of the saying "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime". The girls knew the rules, regardless of how the alcohol was obtained, and they should have followed them.

“I wish the school (district) would investigate a little more into their disciplining,” Jordan said. “Whether students drank alcohol seems to be more important than the whole sexual harassment thing.”

Obviously the school disctrict investigated - the teacher resigned over the incident. He may never get a teaching position again because of it - that's just as well.

Jordan said she worries that withdrawing from school and getting a GED will hurt her chances of getting into a university, but she hopes to explain herself. Her plans are to go to Odessa College and then transfer to a university.

I can hear her college interview now.... College official, "Why didn't you graduate?" Jordan, "Because I was punished for drinking on a school sponsored trip."

I'm sorry, but the dad does not have good sense. He taught his daughter that rules & consequences mean nothing. My children would've been grateful that 18 days was their punishment at school - they know it'd be much worse than that at home.

[TheDOCTORdre]

Originally posted by LH Panther Mom
This is a perfect example of the saying "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime".

Yes I agree, there is also another lesson to be learned, "if you do the crime dont get caught" at least that was always my philosphy, but if i did get caught, I was willing to accept my punishment

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by TheDOCTORdre
Yes I agree, there is another lesson to be learned, "if you do the crime dont get caught"

Good one!

[Astrosdawg07]

Originally posted by bullfrog_alumni_02
i think 18 days in an AEP is a little to leaniant(sp?). she got off easy for the crime she committed. i dont think what the girls or the teacher did was right at any level. i just think they got off way too easy. and she, the girl who whithdrew, has no right to say that zero-tolerance in this instance is too much.

I don't think the school should decide the penalty. Let the POLICE decide it. If you ask me I think the school is letting her off a lot easier than what the law would. I guess an M.I.P. + 30 day suspension of drivers licence is easy...

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by Astrosdawg07
I don't think the school should decide the penalty. Let the POLICE decide it. If you ask me I think the school is letting her off a lot easier than what the law would. I guess an M.I.P. + 30 day suspension of drivers licence is easy...

Since they were on a school sponsored athletic trip, the school has an obligation to punish them. Each district has specific rules that is given to all students regarding their behaviour. Some schools may have an extracurricular code of conduct that is given separately to those who participate.

As far as the police deciding, the law will only become involved if they catch them in the act. They won't come in after the fact and do anything for MIP or PI, unless there was an accident.

[CHS_CG]

My freshman year we were in Arlington at 6 flags and at the end of the day we had a random bag search b4 we got into the hotel and sure enough 2 of the seniors had alcohol in their bags. Their parents were called, had to drive to Arlington (which put them there around 2 or 3 am) they were sent to AEP for the rest of the school year (which was like only a month or less) and they didnt get to walk on graduation. 18 days at our school would be lettin the kids think they can do it again and only get an 18 day punishment!

[Rabbit'93]

Although I do not agree with zero-tolerance policies(taking asperin for a headache does not warrent expulsion IMO, true story). I think this girl is way off for quitting school. 18 days is nothing especially when alchohol is involved during a school function.

[BullFrog Dad]

.

[Bandera YaYa]

Maybe she, being a "star athlete" and all, thought she was above the rules made for the rest of the student body. She made a horribe, stupid decision to withdraw from school because she didn't want to do the 18 day sentence. She was lucky she wasn't expelled from school period. Yeah , she will totally regret it...I can see her trying to explain it to a university...."..one day at golf camp......" Uh,.... Good luck on that one, honey!!!!!