Public School over-reach?

[GilpinGuy]

My step-daughter and a few friends went to the movies in Denver last weekend. They saw a fellow students Cherokee in the parking lot and decided (foolishly, I admit) to pull a prank. They opened the unlocked rear hatch and left a "funny" note inside. The owner of that Cherokee got into her Jeep some time later and drove off. The hatch opened on the highway (the story goes anyway) and she lost a bunch of stuff that flew out. Apparently, this girl was not running with the "in crowd" and the prank was not welcome to say the least. The girl did file a police report.

To make long story a bit shorter, the Principal decided that the girls involved in the prank will be prohibited from playing in the next volleyball game. The girls who pulled the prank and the victim are all on the volleyball team.

This did not happen during school, on school property or on school time whatsoever - it was over the weekend. So what business is it of the school at all? The Principal, who's also the volleyball coach, told my wife that she felt it was necessary because the Cherokee owner was a volleyball team member as well, team unity, blah blah blah.

Yes, some discipline is probably in order BY HER MOM AND ME, but not the damn school. Am I out of line for being a little pissed here? I'm more pissed at the Principal than I am at the prank at this point.

[jhood001]

Your kid broke into a vehicle. Prank or not.

I don't have kids and I don't personally know you, but it seems like you're more concerned with someone stepping into your child disciplinary space than you are anything else.

Regardless, missing a game is a small price to pay. It is certainly a better penalty than having a juvenile record.

Best of luck with the situation.

[GilpinGuy]

it seems like you're more concerned with someone stepping into your child disciplinary space than you are anything else.

Damn right. That's my whole point. What right does the school have to discipline kids when they do things AWAY from school over a weekend? They need to fuck off. Not a school matter at all.

Yes, there will be discipline at home. Not really the topic here though. In fact, I put that in bold in the OP.

[T-Giv]

Your kid broke into a vehicle. Prank or not.

The kids actually didn't "break" into the vehicle. It was unlocked as stated by the OP. In order for a first degree criminal trespass charge to stick there would have to be an intent to commit a crime inside of the vehicle upon entering...which there was clearly not. Possibly a trespass charge would stick but even that would be slim. Bottom line in my book is that yes your kid did something wrong and they should be punished. However, I agree with the OP that the school can go right the fuck off and mind its own business. It's the way of the world these days. At least your daughter is learning this now for when she is in the work force. Employers are getting ever more involved in people's personal affairs that have no relation to their professional work. Just my .02

[UncleDave]

After school activities are a privilege. A student can be suspended or bared from the team for conduct that is unbecoming, or for grades dropping, etc. That's how it was when I was in school 20+ years ago. If you did something that reflected poorly on the team or the school the coach punished you, as well as your parents, and the cops if it was bad enough. An example, coach made the team forfeit a game over a kegger party once when I was in HS. I don't see this as overstepping, but as a unified front with the discipline of you the parents. If the principal had suspended the girls from school over the incident, that would be stepping over the line, but most extra curricular activities include a good conduct contract in my day at least. Just my 2 cents.

[brokenscout]

Schools ask kids if there are guns in the home, they known what best for our kids. They shouldn't have a right to, but if all the girls are on a school volleyball team, and related to that.??? They can drug test your kids for sports? Good luck , lol, also worry more about how far they want to press the police issue

[Great-Kazoo]

Easiest way to find out what they were thinking is , ask them. Is there anything in the school handbook / expectations that dictates how far the school's reach is. Myself, i would have already been meeting with them, for clarification of their actions.
While the "punishment" was not severe, this time. Who knows what could happen next time.

[flyingcouch]

After school activities are a privilege. A student can be suspended or bared from the team for conduct that is unbecoming, or for grades dropping, etc. That's how it was when I was in school 20+ years ago. If you did something that reflected poorly on the team or the school the coach punished you, as well as your parents, and the cops if it was bad enough. An example, coach made the team forfeit a game over a kegger party once when I was in HS. I don't see this as overstepping, but as a unified front with the discipline of you the parents. If the principal had suspended the girls from school over the incident, that would be stepping over the line, but most extra curricular activities include a good conduct contract in my day at least. Just my 2 cents.

This ^

The school did not punish her, the vollyball coach did related to volleyball. It think a coach has every right to punish one player for treating other players poorly.

To answer your question, I do think you are out of line. Also people (kids) need to learn that life is not always fair. High school is the time when parents need to step aside a bit and let kids deal with their own issues, even if they are not always fair - IMHO

[Lurch]

Yes it was a prank and no one got hurt. But what if someone had swerved to miss the stuff falling out of the car and had been killed? I would meet with the coach/principal and see what if anything will happen if she does something again. Also she should consider herself lucky with a one game suspension.

[Sharpienads]

My wife was a volleyball player, too. Volleyball girls are nothing but trouble.

But to the OP, I don't see the issue. A couple of girls pulled a prank on a fellow team member, whether innocent or not, and it turned into a ptentially dangerous/costly situation. Now the coach is making them sit on the bench. However, it sounds like the prankee probably overreacted a bit.