Candy Crusaders

Students and administrators at South Portland High School successfully negotiated an end to a student sit-in last Friday.

Students were protesting what they view as the school’s proclivity for handing out suspensions like candy.

Candy was also apparently at the heart of the suspension that set them off. A sophomore, Dylan Leddy, apparently thought it would be funny to give a Necco candy heart, which read, “Go home,” to a girl he didn’t like. Although the student said he didn’t deliver the heart, it eventually found its way to her, and he eventually found himself in the principal’s office.

The prank got him suspended, and students decided they’d had enough. They decided to protest with a little civil disobedience.

Administrators apparently handled the protest well, blocking off the breezeway so more students didn’t decide they’d rather protest than go to class. Principal Jeanne Crocker apparently met with students several times before the protest broke up in time for lunch.

“They dealt with it well. They offered for students to come and talk, which is just what should have happened,” said Superintendent Wendy Houlihan.

It seems all is well that ends well. However, the school would be wise to take this opportunity to think about its suspension policy and whether the school is handing out too many suspensions.

Schools have an obligation to protect students. However, Dylan Leddy’s father, Paul Leddy, who said he sympathizes with the school, has a point when he says schools are probably acting out of a fear of litigation.

While that may be a necessary evil these days, it’s important to keep kids in school. Suspending them can put them behind their peers and have a detrimental affect on their self-esteem.

Adjusting the policy and examining when it should be used could help avoid another student protest. Or, next time, students will hopefully take a cue from their parents and take their concerns to the school board.

An ounce of prevention

The Maine Criminal Justice Academy should be applauded for adding training on dealing with people with developmental disabilities.

The academy added the training to its curriculum after state Sen. Phil Bartlett announced plans to introduce legislation that would have required the training of all police and prosecutors.

Bartlett was acting on behalf of Scarborough resident Denise Kring, whose daughter Barbara was involved, with 15-year-old Lyndsey McLaughlin, in a double stabbing outside of the Scarborough library last March.

What happened that day was confusing to everyone – police, prosecutors, and even Kring and McLaughlin. Police initially believed it was a suicide pact. Prosecutors, however, later brought charges against McLaughlin, who was recently found not guilty of them because she was delusional.

It’s impossible to know whether a little bit of training at the academy would have helped police at all that day. Police have to make quick decisions while they are dealing with people who are in traumatic situations.

One thing is for certain, though – the training can’t hurt.

Brendan Moran, editor