Pregnant teen humiliated by school

spinnerholic · 03-13-2012, 01:54 PM

http://blogs.babycenter.com/communit...ted-by-school/

Fifteen year old Shantelle Hicks found out she was pregnant and planned to continue her education at her public school but the school had other plans once they discovered her pregnancy. Instead, they booted her out and it wasn’t until a letter sent to the school on her behalf by the ACLU that she was allowed back in 4 days later.

To further complicate the issue upon her return, Shantelle claims she felt humiliated, being forced by the school director and another staff member to stand up and announce her pregnancy during a school assembly because school officials allegedly did not want to set a bad example for the other students. For a school whose slogan is “SUCCESS FOR ALL of our students,” it seems to be contradictory to this case.

If the allegations are true, I have to say I’m at a loss as to why school officials believed this was an appropriate course of action. It raises so many questions, including whether this student’s constitutional rights were violated, why the baby’s father (if he was also a student at the same school) was not asked to stand up as well and whether public humiliation is ever productive. (For some reason, I’m reminded of the book The Scarlet Letter.)

XxLovelyxChaosxX asked The Debate Team “Should the school have used her as an example to the other students? Did the school violate her privacy?”.

Cmhchick didn’t mince words “School was WAY out of line here.” and iluvscience elaborated “That is disgusting. I can’t believe the SCHOOL thinks it’s OK to treat children (especially female children) with such disrespect. Where is her right to privacy?! What about the boy that got her pregnant?! Why does she take the entire blame?!”

In the lawsuit filed by the ACLU has named the school district along with the school officials who singled out this student and is seeking damages and declatory relief of the violations of her constitutional rights.

Do you think the lawsuit has any merit? Or was the school justified in their alleged actions?

Twoolf · 03-13-2012, 02:47 PM

Where the hell were that parents that they didn't raise her properly? Fifteen and knocked up? Thats a parent failure more than a kid failure. But the school was way out of line.

sandyd · 03-13-2012, 02:50 PM

I thought tossing preg girls out of school went out of style by the 80's....so yeah, I think the lawsuit is appropriate and will be a winner.

Cactus Az · 03-13-2012, 03:02 PM

The girl was at a reservation boarding school. An 8th grader at the time. Seems that school could be as much at fault as her parents.

ACLU: Pregnant Teen Humiliated At School

Koat.com

sandyd · 03-13-2012, 03:04 PM

Quote:

reservation boarding school

Like, not even in the USA school?

Hey, their country, their rules.

Cactus Az · 03-13-2012, 03:06 PM

A BIA school at Fort Wingate. On the Big Res.

Potemkin · 03-13-2012, 03:36 PM

Quote:

"It was so embarrassing to have all the other kids staring at me as I walked into the gymnasium," said Hicks in a statement. "I didn't want the whole school to know I was pregnant because it's not their business, and it wasn't right for my teachers to single me out."

I don't think she understands how this pregnancy thing works.

I think they were going to know anyway.

jane333 · 03-13-2012, 04:04 PM

Prior to the 70's, whole communities raised kids; now, if a child experiences the deserved disapproval of even one authority figure other than his parent or teacher, that's a rare thing.

Coyote · 03-13-2012, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Prior to the 70's, whole communities raised kids;

Funny, I don't seem to remember that. "You can mind your own business" was more the norm.

Potemkin · 03-13-2012, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jane333

Prior to the 70's, whole communities raised kids; now, if a child experiences the deserved disapproval of even one authority figure other than his parent or teacher, that's a rare thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coyote

Funny, I don't seem to remember that. "You can mind your own business" was more the norm.

Both I think. I remember getting disciplined by neighborhood adults when I screwed up. I also remember cops doing a little street justice to young punks to keep them from getting a record.

jane333 · 03-15-2012, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Potemkin

.... I remember getting disciplined by neighborhood adults when I screwed up......

It's really no trouble to give a rotten kid the evil eye when he's screaming in public or mistreating his parents, or confront him in the midst of shoplifting. But that's just me.

Ought Six · 03-15-2012, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jane333

It's really no trouble to give a rotten kid the evil eye when he's screaming in public or mistreating his parents, or confront him in the midst of shoplifting. But that's just me.

For kids shoplifting, I find taking cellphone video and telling them, "you are going to be a star on YouTube, dude!" when they spot you recording them generally works well.