EXPULSION LIFTED

Education: Teen Allowed to Return to Pcvs After Expulsion Over
Off-School Marijuana Incident

A review board has quashed the expulsion of a 17-year-old Peterborough
Collegiate Vocational School student, says the boy's mother.

Jean Grant said the three-member Child and Family Services Review
Board issued its decision Monday.

The Child and Family Services Review Board is a tribunal that conducts
reviews and hearings on matters affecting children and families in
Ontario, such as school expulsions.

Grant was challenging the school's decision to expel her son Quin
after an incident involving marijuana that took place off school property.

"We're happy. We believed all along that we were right," she
said.

Not only has the expulsion been quashed, but it will also be stricken
from her son's record, and he can return to PCVS, Grant said.

Her son, and four other teens, the mother says, was expelled in
December after an incident at an off-school party.

In November, the school launched an investigation into allegations
that six students sold and consumed drugs on and off school property,
according to Grant.

The outspoken mother says PCVS searched backpacks and took numbers
from personal cell-phones when investigating alleged drug use and
transactions.

Grant was challenging the school's right to investigate in the manner
it did, and wanted a review of the Safe Schools Act, which is part of
the provincial Education Act that outlines the protocol to handle
suspensions and expulsions.

Even though she was aware her son smoked pot, Grant doesn't feel her
son met the expulsion criteria.

"It was an extreme reaction to essentially what was a first time
offence."

Grant said she needs to see the written decision, expected in 20 days,
before she decides what action she should take next, which could
include asking for a public inquiry of the Education Act.

Regardless, Grant said she will be providing all the information to
Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal to forward on to Education Minister
Kathleen Wynne.

"It's all too subjective. When you can allow vice-principals to
investigate what kids are doing on their own time, at home, on
weekends, that's a little bit scary."

Board chairwoman Diane Lloyd said the board will follow the review
board's decision, but wouldn't comment any further.

"Our expulsion policy is totally based on the Safe Schools Act and the
Education Act, and it's under legislation. That's it really," she said.

"We won't comment on anything that's a legal matter or anything on an
individual student."

Patricia MacNeil, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Education, said
the ministry won't comment on specific incidents.

But the Safe Schools Act outlines the roles and responsibilities of
principals and trustees when it comes to expulsions, and includes the
protocol for an appeal process, she said.

"Boards are responsible for these matters. The ministry is responsible
to provide the guidelines in which they can do so,"MacNeil said.

"That appeal function is something the minister requires that
exists."

Grant's son is currently attending the Centre for Individual
Studies.

She agreed to reveal his name yesterday.

It would be difficult for him to return to PCVS right now because it's
so late in the school year, Grant said.

White said he feels more positive about the future because the
expulsion will be stricken from his record.

"I feel pretty good about it. I obviously wanted it to get
overturned," he said.

He said he's considering going back to PCVS in September if he doesn't
graduate in June.

PCVS principal Denise Severin redirected all comment to the school
board yesterday.

Barry (whose named has been changed) is another parent whose son was
expelled the same day as White.

He said his family's decision about whether or not to appeal came down
to cost.

Barry said his son is better off, having only needed to complete one
credit, and he is doing a co-op placement.

He's happy Grant has won, but he's still angry about the process and
how nothing was done in the "best interest of the kids."

"They went ahead and expelled a kid that has never been in trouble
before."

Grant would not say how much it cost to hire a lawyer for the appeal,
but said it's been worth it.

"I just want my son to get a proper education. And after the decisions
are made, we can look at how to improve things and make things better
for everybody," she said.

"That's been my goal all along. I didn't have to put myself through
this, but I firmly believe it's very important and that's why I did
it."