Austistic Student Receives Citation for Dropping "F" Bomb
A North Texas mother says she'll fight a ticket her autistic son received for dropping the "F" bomb on his teacher. Camber Hayman says her son was in a resource classroom at the end of last year, when he used the profanity. The teacher reported the incident to the vice principal, and a Dallas Police Officer who works the Westwood Junior High School campus issued Thomas Hayman a $364 ticket for a class-C misdemeanor.
"The concern is whether police officers need to be involved in the daily routine behavior management of children," Hayman said. The Richardson school district says it can't go into detail due to student privacy laws, but released a statement pointing out there is an appeals process for the zero tolerance policy. Hayman plans to fight the citation at a court hearing the first week of December.
RISD is subject to the legal requirements set forth under the federal Family Education Rights & Privacy Act. As such, specific student information involving discipline or health is confidential and the district will not discuss it.
RISD arranges for full time municipal police officers to be present on all secondary campuses during the school day. They serve as a visible deterrent to student and visitor misbehavior and as a resource for students and staff members regarding safety and law enforcement issues.
Officers typically work with campus administrators on student discipline issues that may rise to the level of Class C Misdemeanors or higher, but they may also engage in law enforcement activities independent of school or district discipline.
It is not uncommon for police officers to issue citations to students for Class C offenses at secondary campuses in RISD, and this possibility is made clear to students and parents at the beginning of each year through the district's Student Code of Conduct.
If a parent or student disagrees with a disciplinary decision of the school, there exists an appeals process with the district. If a parent or student disagrees with a police officer's decision to issue a citation, they have the right of due process under the justice system.
The RISD Student Code of Conduct can be found at www.risd.org. Relevant sections are on pages 33 (Student Involvement with Law Enforcement) and 40 (Disruptions). It is provided to all students and parents at the beginning of each school year.
The Westwood Junior High Code of Conduct is attached. The relevant section is on page 6 (General Misconduct Violations). It is sent home to all parents and presented to all students who then sign their name verifying receipt and understanding.
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