My son was tangentially involved in a food fight that erupted in the Russellville High School cafeteria this week. From what I gather, it was quite a melee and there was some damage done to some ceiling tiles which will need to be replaced. The kids are willing to pay for the damages. Other than probably a few kids feelings, no one was hurt in the incident.
There were two boys, both seniors, who were brought into the principal's office afterwards and "confessed" to starting the food fight. Both of these boys were suspended from school for several days and were told that, although they will receive their diplomas, they will not be allowed to participate in or be present at the graduation ceremony.
Now I realize that what these kids did was wrong, and that the school has every right to punish them for their actions. But it seems to me that in this case, the punishment does not fit the "crime". While I realize that the school could have punished them even more severely for their actions, it seems that the punishment is a little harsh. I know I did things that were a lot worse than being involved in food fights, and I was still allowed to "walk" at my graduation.
The way I see it, kids go to school to learn all different kinds of lessons, and I think we need to be careful about what kinds of messages are taught. Maybe it's a stretch, but this seems a little bit like sentencing someone to the death penalty for jay-walking.
I posted this on here hoping that others might chime in on what they feel is a fair punishment for kids who start food fights. Whatdya think?
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Gotta love a smart aleck.