[Malia110]

I may get knocked for this, but did anyone see the news about the child that wore a Hempstead, NY t-shirt to school? I don't know what county it was, I can't remember. They stopped the boy because they thought he was promoting hemp(marijuana), they checked it out when he said that this was the town he was from, found out this was true and let him go.

Now his parents are making a big stink out of it. There was no disciplinary action taken at all. I believe they are going to take this to court and I hope this gets thrown out. People will try to get money for anything!!!

Malia

[markdavd]

I heard they were holding the boy in the office. It took awhile, but he finally convinced them to look it up on the internet.

Remember - while they were holding him, they were accusing him of all kinds of 'in school' illegalities.

Should the parents sue - No.

Should the school administator issue a formal apology - Yes.

[SoapMom]

I didn't see the family say they were going to sue anyone, nor have the online newspapers mentioned that.

I think the man at the school was doing his job - but it did seem pretty dumb to me that they don't understand the difference between hemp and marijuana (so are they going to outlook hemp clothing?), or that it took an internet search on the part of the school-officials to believe the student -- I mean, what happened to pulling a file and checking it first? The boy's family had moved from Hempstead and there would have been reference to this in his official school records.

I'm sure this northern family newly moved here to the south is shaking their heads big-time over this. I think I would have as well. Would I sue? No, that would be silly. I would hope that the school official did apologize however and explain that this was part of his job to stop students/etc.

[NavyEagle]

These were school officials? Makes you wonder about the school. Think about it.....there are some people from Dallas------Georgia, Paris------Texas; you would think they would have used their heads a little. Then again there is a lot of BS going on out there and it is for the most part to error on the part of safety then other.

But the school does owe him and the kid an apology.

[Malia110]

I don't know that they are going to school, but the fact that they went to the new channels over this struck me as overreacting. They did check it out and sent the boy on his way. The school policy is zero tolerance and they have to check everything in this day and age, which is sad. The father did say he wanted action taken, what action, I don't know. I just think that they were overreacting, it is not like he was suspended or anything. No, I don't think they were discriminating, they told the parents they would have had to check anyone out over that. I have seen students when I went to school that would have things on their shirts, remember the Big Johnson t-shirts. It implies, you just never know. I don't see a problem with them checking it out.

Malia

[bh67]

I saw this on the news and think the parents are way over reacting. Many are sue happy and all it does is cost the tax payer. they will osse in court and then the district can ask the judge to grant attorney fees. Unless it is a divorce situation the judges rarely enforce these payments, this happened a while back with a Paulding politician who sued after loosing.

[Malia110]

That was my whole point, the parents are overreacting. I would have laughed it off, no harm was done. I can see how that could have been mixed up and thought it was meant for something else.

Malia

[AustinPlantation]

I may get knocked for this, but did anyone see the news about the child that wore a Hempstead, NY t-shirt to school? Malia

This was at WSB-TV's site. As usual, the AP erred --- The boy's shirt is from the village of Hempstead, one of the 22 villiages in the Town of Hempstead, where he moved from. The shirt read Hempstead, NY 516 as per WXIA-TV. 516 is the area code for Nassau County, NY which contains the town and villiage of Hempstead.

ATLANTA -- The town of Hempstead, N.Y., has a message for school officials in Gwinnett County, Ga.: Look at a map.

That's after a student at a suburban Atlanta high school was thrown out of class for wearing a shirt that said Hempstead on it.

Hempstead is the name of his hometown. But school officials apparently thought it was a reference to marijuana.

His family said that Terrell Jones was pulled out of class at Grayson High School Monday and wasn't allowed to return until he persuaded school officials to look up the town on the Internet.

A spokeswoman for the Long Island town said Hempstead is the nation's largest township, with 759,000 residents, 22 villages and more than 142 square miles.

Jones' family wants an apology.

[SoapMom]

That's all I've seen in print/online or on the tv -- that the family wants an apology.

If they try to sue I have no doubt it would get thrown out. They have no grounds and it would be ridiculous.

I think an apology isn't too much to ask for.

[AustinPlantation]

There's also a Pottsdam in New York --- think they would have stoped him for drugs and obscenities with that t-shirt?

[kal0417]

I am so glad to see this thread on here! I have to agree that the parents are really overreacting to this. The schools are required to stop and question anyone that may possibly be breaking their codes or be a danger in the school (not that this t-shirt was dangerous). I am afraid that if a huge deal is made out of this and people become angry with the schools for stopping this child, it may prevent administrators and teachers from stopping children in the future, for fear of being ostracized. I really think when it comes to schools and safety we are “better safe than sorry”!