Case Study #1: Rash Decision P. 34

Racism or just punishment, that is the question in this case study. Did the school give proper punishment to Angela Kim? After suffering from alleged discrimination from classmates and her teachers, Angela Kim lashed out by rubbing poison ivy on the chair of her teacher. The school suspended the student for seven days. The districts policy defines a weapon as a gun, knife, dangerous object, or chemical (Hoy & Miskel, 2008, p. 35). This school policy allowed the principal to suspend the student up to seven days without consulting the central office. In the case of Angie Kim the principal decided to suspend Angie for the maximum seven days. Some close to the student felt the punishment was excessive and not a just for a model student such as Kim.
As a school Superintendent I would keep an eye on the situation and make sure those below me are investigating the allegations. There is a hierarchal system in education and the problem would have to move it’s way through the chain of command before reaching the superintendent (Hoy & Miskel, 2008, p. 403).
The principal should be notified of the accusations and the steps being taken. For instance, I would make the principal aware of the racism allegations which are very serious.
With the current procedure the principal was able to suspend the student for seven days without consulting the central office. There is no question of Kim’s guilt in this case; there is a question of whether the punishment was excessive and if racism was involved. This allegation of racism is very serious and may effect the school’s reputation. The school board will look into the matter, and see how punishment has been handled in the past. The implications for the future will depend upon what is found out in the investigation.
This may also be the first case of its kind and may set a precedent. As a result of this incident the district may change the policy on how it deals with students who assault teacher. They may also clarify how this issue is handled.
The press treatment does seem fair, because it is possible that it is racially linked. The news is an outlet to make people aware of things happening in the community, so the story is valid.
This is a sticky situation because both parties could be at fault. It is possible that Angie Kim suffered unfair treatment because of her race. This unfair treatment does not however give her the right to assault a teacher. Her family and friends may downplay what she did, but it was assault and could have caused her teacher major problems if he had severe allergies.
The school can learn from this incident, it can make it easier for students to report unjust treatment. Also, the school can outline specifically the punishment for certain behavior infractions.
Overall, this case is not very clear. If the parents knew their daughter was being unfairly treated, they should have reported it. They waited until she was being punished for assaulting a teacher. So now the question is: was she treated unfairly, or are the parents looking for a justification of their daughter’s actions. It doesn’t matter if their student is an honor student, she should be punished the same as anyone else.