Two East Valley high school students were forced to hold hands in front of their classmates as punishment for fighting. Now that punishment is drawing criticism.
"Kids were laughing at them and calling them names asking, 'are you gay,'" said student Brittney Smyers, who saw the punishment play out at the school earlier this week.
"It was funny," said student Mickey Shull. "I've been in ROTC and it's no different than some of the stuff you have to do there. It works."
Most students at the school thought the punishment was better than getting suspended. They acknowledged it was humiliating but thought it would teach them a lesson.
A picture of the teenagers hiding their faces was posted to Facebook where several comments criticized the punishment saying it was inappropriate.
One person commented, saying it encourages bullying because the kids were targeted for taunting and name-calling.
A few others went as far as to say it sent a negative message to gay students because itportrayed hand-holding by two males to be embarrassing.
A Mesa Public School District representative issued the following statement regarding the punishment.
Mesa Public Schools is dedicated to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment. The district has guidelines for appropriate student discipline and our site administrators have the authority to impose consequences within our policies and regulations.
The district does not condone the choice of in-school discipline given these students, regardless of their acceptance or willingness to participate. District leadership will address this matter with the school principal and review district protocol regarding student discipline with all administrators.
remo303 posted at 11:28 pm on Thu, Nov 29, 2012.
This is news?
So in response to creative discipline (agreed to by the students involved) the District will now certainly issue forth some sort of idiotic adminispeak which will result in everyone getting suspended, every time, lest they be accused of not being consistent.
Brilliant. And they can't figure out why their Propositions won't pass?
Bluepoet posted at 7:27 am on Fri, Nov 30, 2012.
A poor choice of discipline, as it really does encourage homophobic bullying. Whatever happened to detention?
BTW, giving someone two options of punishment, isn't really much of a choice...and, why are they giving them even that much choice? They did something wrong, the punishment should be swift, appropriate, and consistent.
"Creative" punishment is an oxymoron...
downtownresident posted at 7:59 am on Fri, Nov 30, 2012.
I don't see the problem here. At least they weren't forced to walk around campus holding hands.
The only problem I see is the inappropriate actions of their classmates who made fun of them. Where were the teachers when this was happening?
Once again, MPS will over-react in the name of political correctness.
Unfortunately, there is little or no dicipline in schools already.
momof4 posted at 8:20 am on Fri, Nov 30, 2012.
I am worried about the impact this event will have on these students on the long run. Meaning, feelings towards Westwood, education, self esteem, homesexuality, etc. A smart Educator knows that disciplining students or teenagers in public, disrespecting them, and hurting their dignity is a very bad approach. I also disagree with suspension, because it hurts the student academically. There has to be a better way to deal with situations like these. How about teaching students classes on mediation and communication to learn how solve their differences by talking, re directing, negotiating, modeling, etc. I think they should have been sent to the Principal's office or the Psychologist office - if the school has one. Shame on the teacher who did this, and shame on the administrators for allowing it. They should be disciplined.
Dale Whiting posted at 8:56 am on Fri, Nov 30, 2012.
I applaud the high school administration and suggest that if either sanctions against them or changes in policy to prohibit this option follow, it's time for a brand new school board and district administrator!
I was raised in Ft.Worth, Texas where corporal punishment was routinely employed. It's high time we reconsider getting rid of that. We kids all were forced to show respect to our teachers. "Yes Sir or Mam. I'm sorry for speaking up without begin called on. Please forgive me." Those were lessons I'll never forget. RESPECT is lacking in our public schools, respect we'll not be able to restore by anyother means.
It's not unlike the criminal justice system. Lessen the punishment and the misbehaviors increase! These kids were engaged in fighting, a misdemeanor for sure!
Irons1 posted at 9:31 am on Fri, Nov 30, 2012.
The teachers were in their classrooms tutoring students. That is where the teachers were. No teacher was involved in this decision, momof4, this was an entirely administrative decision. DO NOT lump teachers into this. They had NO say on any of this. If you have a problem, take it to where the decision came from, to the administration
scyntax posted at 9:37 am on Fri, Nov 30, 2012.
Everyone should realize that no matter what the punishment, some loon will find that it was "inappropriate". There will always be some politically correct zealot running up and down the street screaming how "inappropriate" this was. The state of civility in this country right now is dismal. Young people have little respect for their elders these days and should know that there are consequences for their action.
I think this was very creative.
BassAckwards posted at 11:36 am on Fri, Nov 30, 2012.
School district cowards bow to the slightest pressure from any parent that has a kid that disrupts the education of other kids. This was effective because it was humiliating. Maybe it will make these and other kids think before they haul off and start a fight disrupting the education of the other students. Where are the rights of the kids that are having their education undermined by idiots like these two? Stop lowering everything down to the least common denominator. Force these miscreants to come up to human standards instead.
quietgardens posted at 6:47 am on Sun, Dec 2, 2012.
THIS is where liberals have taken us in the public school system--completely on the wrong track, out of touch with reality and common sense.
When my son was in elementary school, he told me (years later) about something that happened to him. There was a kid that was regularly picking on him. Staff saw it, and both were sent to the administration. Their "solution" to the problem was for them to go on a "friendship walk". What that entailed was that they missed class in order to be on trash pickup duty together.
Are you kidding me?! What is wrong with this picture? What happened to the days of punishment for the offender, calling parents for a meeting and after school detention or work detail. You can't tell me that this is a viable solution to today's problems!