3rd grader sniffs his shirt, gets suspended
Categories: Kids 8-11, Health & safety, Education
Harris Park Elementary School principal Christopher Benisch believes that magic markers can pose a serious safety issue for children. He is right, of course. Markers, as well as other common household items such as correction fluid and nail polish, contain volatile solvents. Inhaling these vapors can result in an altered mental state and many people do it just for the high. But huffing fumes is dangerous and can result in brain damage and even death.
Of course, not everyone who sniffs a marker is trying to get high. Markers have a unique smell that many people, myself included, kind of like. It seems that 8-year-old Eathen Harris likes the smell, too. That would explain why he was repeatedly sniffing his shirt, which had a stripe of marker on it.
When Harris' teacher saw him doing this, she reported his misbehavior to the principal, who gave him a three-day suspension for huffing. Is suspending a 3rd-grader for smelling his shirt a bit extreme? Harris' dad thinks so. "[The school] automatically assumed that he was huffing a marker," James Harris says. "He is in third grade, he's 8-years-old. And I think that's a ridiculous assumption."
James Harris was able to talk the principal down to a one-day suspension, but he still doesn't think the school has done enough. But Principal Benisch is sticking to his guns and letting the punishment stand. "We really want to send a clear message to that student and the other students that we're responsible for that," Benisch says. "This is a real true danger."
Of course, not everyone who sniffs a marker is trying to get high. Markers have a unique smell that many people, myself included, kind of like. It seems that 8-year-old Eathen Harris likes the smell, too. That would explain why he was repeatedly sniffing his shirt, which had a stripe of marker on it.
When Harris' teacher saw him doing this, she reported his misbehavior to the principal, who gave him a three-day suspension for huffing. Is suspending a 3rd-grader for smelling his shirt a bit extreme? Harris' dad thinks so. "[The school] automatically assumed that he was huffing a marker," James Harris says. "He is in third grade, he's 8-years-old. And I think that's a ridiculous assumption."
James Harris was able to talk the principal down to a one-day suspension, but he still doesn't think the school has done enough. But Principal Benisch is sticking to his guns and letting the punishment stand. "We really want to send a clear message to that student and the other students that we're responsible for that," Benisch says. "This is a real true danger."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Heather 4-08-2008 @ 9:09PM
OMG!! When are people going to get a LIFE!!! I cannot believe they would pull a 3rd grader out of school for something as STUPID as this. Then they wonder why more and more kids are missing more days of school and dropping out. Soon it will be illegal for a kid to cross their eyes....they might get stuck that way.
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Justin 4-09-2008 @ 7:43AM
I second that one Heather!
What the hell is wrong with schools lately? Seems all we've been hearing about is schools dishing out total B.S. punishments to kids who are way too young to understand them.
These morons need to wake up and realize they aren't instilling any value or point with these punishments but merely making themselves, the school, and the board, look like a bunch of bumbling idiots.
Congrads to the principle. He's another brick in the wall of ignorance.
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Toni K 4-25-2008 @ 9:11AM
There is no COMMON SENSE used in the school system today.
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Toni K 4-25-2008 @ 9:16AM
There is no such thing as COMMON SENSE used in the school system today.
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KELLY 5-19-2008 @ 11:06PM
THAT IS STUPID THAT THEY SUSPENDED THE KID JUST FOR SMELLING HIS SHIRT.BUT I HAVE ONE EVEN BETTER FOR YALL....I HAVE BEEN ON HERE LOOKING FOR ANY SITE THAT CAN GIVE ME INFO,ON STUPID PRINCIPALS AND TO GET RID OF THEM.I HAVE A 3rd GRADER WHO GOT SUSPENDED ONE DAY IN NOV OF '07 FOR ROUGH PLAYING ON THE PLAY GROUND WITH HIS BEST FRIEND THE TEACHER THAT SEEN THEM AUTOMATICLY SAYED THEY WERE FIGHTING SO THEY WERE LET OUT FOR ONE....I GOT OVER THAT ONE BUT THE PRINCIPAL AND ME HAVE NEVER SEEN EYE TO EYE ON ANYTHING BECAUSE HE IS A VERY DESRESPECTFUL MAN HEY TALKS TO PARENTS WORSE THEN HE WOULD A DOG.WELL TODAY MAY 19 2008,I GOT CALLED IN TO THE OFFICE BECAUSE MY SON AND ANOTHER OF HIS CLASS MATES GOT INTO A FIGHT BECAUSE THE OTHER CHILD BROKE INTO LINE AND WAS TOLD BY ALOT OF CHILDREN TO GO TO THE END HE TOLD MY SON TO KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT AND PUSHED MY SO.MY SON DID NOTHING IN RETURN EXCEPT TO TELL HIM TO GO TO END OF LINE,THE OTHER BOY PUSHED MY SON SO HARD HE TRIPPED OVER A TABLE MY SON GOT UP AND PUNCHED HIM IN THE MOUTH,E DEFENDE HIS SELF,WE HAVE TAUGHT OUR KIDS TO ALWAYS DEFEND THEMSELVES....AND TAKE THE CONSEQUENCES WITH YOUR HEAD HELD HIGH.I WAS FINE WITH THE 3 DAY SUSPENSION,I WENT TO PICK UP MY CHILD FROM THE OFFICE AND WAS STANDING OUTSIDE SPEAKIN TO A FRIEND ABOUT WHY I WAS THERE AND I WAS EXPLAINING MY BOY GOT 3 DAYS,....AND THE PRINCIPAL HEARD ..GOT IN MY FACE ASKED ME IF I HAD A PROBLEM I TOLD HIM YES I DID,HE SAID VERY LOUDLY WITH ATTITUDE FOR ME TO GET IN HIS OFFICE(LIKE I WAS A STUDENT)IN FRONT OF ABOUT 5 TEACHERS AND SECRETARYS,I POLITLY TOLD HIM I WAS NOT ONE OF HIS STUDENTS HE WOULD NOT SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY,HE DECIDED TO TELL HE WAS TIRED OF ME AND WAS GONNA FIX ME .....HE MADE THE SECRETARY PULL UP A DROP REPORT FOR MY 3rd GRADER HANDED IT TO ME AND SAYED DONT EVER BRING YOUR CHILD BACK TO MY SCHOOL AGAIN,NEEDLESS TO SAY I HAVE SPOKE TO SCHOOL BOARD OFFICE AND ALSO MY LAWYER,BUT JUST WONDERED IF ANYONE ELSE MAY HAVE SOME INFO THAT MIGHT HELP.THIS MAN DROPPED MY KID NOT BECAUSE HE IS NOT BECAUSE HE MAKES BAD GRADES,HE IS A B/C AVERAGE STUDENT ....HE DROPPED MY CHILD BECAUSE HE DOESNT LIKE ME,ANY ADVICE WOULD HELP,MY SON ONLY KNOWS THIS SCHOOL.AND IS VERY UPSET.THANK YOU FOR READING EVEN IF YALL HAVE NO ADVICE..FELT BETTER JUST GETTIN IT OFF MY CHEST.
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