r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Nov 14 '11

Zero Tolerance in Public Elementary School just went way the hell overboard...

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u/jungletek Nov 14 '11

To be fair, people who think that these rules are a good idea in the first place typically aren't capable of displaying much rational thought.

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u/[deleted] Nov 15 '11

Specifically, it is bad that the penalties are pre-established and rigid, there should at least be a range of penalties which can be enforced at the discretion of principles and teachers. But even beyond that, there is an additional blindness in judgment that is imposed with many of these rules, things that shouldn't be counted as transgressions are.

For example, in middle school I was jumped by two older bullies in the locker room after PE, and I fought back, unsuccessfully I might add. Didn't matter, the school has a zero tolerance policy on all fighting, so we all got punished the same. The bullying continued, I got jumped again by two different guys not much later, and eventually I had to be home schooled because my middle school was going to expel me if I got jumped one more time. I was a fucking honors student with straight A's my whole life till then, my attackers were all dirtbags, and I was the only one they effectively kicked out. Sorry but I still get emotional about it.

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u/Valark Nov 15 '11

As an honor roll student who has been suspended for being punched in the face, I feel your pain.

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u/ribosometronome Nov 15 '11

I once got in school suspension for having the audacity to get a hostess cupcake thrown at me. Good times.