For the record: Ditching class, failing grades, the use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and illegal or unsportsmanlike behavior are not acceptable for student athletes. Every Colorado high school has a list of offenses that result in suspension or expulsion from a team.
High schools are right to set standards for athletes. The philosophy is that participation in sports is a privilege, not a right. At what point, however, does the school’s authority over a student’s behavior cease and a family’s responsibility for discipline and privacy begin?
The answer for most Colorado high schools is: never.
The Code of Conduct at Durango High School applies “from the time a student enrolls at DHS until the time they graduate.” Compliance is expected 2 4/7 whether it’s during a sport season, the school year, or even when school is not in session — perfect behavior for four consecutive years.
There is no Code of Conduct prescribed by the Colorado High School Activities Association, but the 2 4/7/365 policy is the norm in most districts. Cortez High School is the only I’ve found that limits its scope of review to when school is in session and during a sport season.
The Grand Junction schools go so far as to say athletes can be dismissed from teams even if charges are dismissed by law enforcement or the courts. In other words, a school administrator’s judgment trumps both parents and the law.
In the fervor to discourage bad behaviors, especially underage alcohol consumption, tobacco and drugs, schools have developed far-reaching policies with good intentions and unintended consequences.
The real kicker is that students are asked to turn themselves in. It’s called “self-reporting,” the intent being for students to take responsibility for their actions and be honest. The result is a hypocritical policy that effectively turns kids and parents into cheats and liars if they fail to do so. The exceptions, of course, are the perfect parents and perfect kids who live a 100 percent error-free life.
The system also encourages tattling and anonymous accusations against students. It opens the door to persecution and retribution. Administrators can go on fishing expeditions for information to use against kids.
The big hypocrisy is that coaches, teachers and administrators aren’t held to the same standards as the kids. School employees have been busted in their private lives for everything from DUI violations to possession of pot and have kept their jobs. As a teachers union representative told me, its members would never agree to be under the school district’s purview and review 100 percent of every day.
The school’s responsibility is to educate kids, not raise them for us. It’s presumptuous and unfair to treat parents who are having “kid challenges” as if they don’t care or are failing to address family problems like a responsible adult. Overreaching intrusion by schools into their life can have more negative consequences than benefits intended.
The kid suspended from the basketball team for a drinking incident in July may be driven from the only outlet she has for positive behavior when school is in session. How does that benefit a kid or a community?
So what should be done about students who violate the Code of Conduct? If it’s during the season or on-campus, the punishment should be applied if based on evidence, not self-reporting. Anonymous accusations shouldn’t be considered except for direct threats to safety.
Lastly, this is a call for all imperfect parents to never give up on our imperfect kids. Keep up the struggle to manage your lives and don’t let government or schools butt in where it’s not their right. Face up to the consequences when it is.
Jack Turner is the parent of two students who participated in sports and activities at Durango High School. You can contact him at .
