TIME TO END ZERO TOLERANCE POLICIES IS RIGHT NOW

It's happened again. This time in Alabama. A school system has taken
unreasonably drastic measures against a student for a seemingly minor
offense.

A Clay-Chalkville High School student was suspended for a month and
sent to an alternative school. Her infraction? Taking ibuprofen - an
over-the-counter painkiller similar to aspirin - for cramps.

And that's just ridiculous.

Other than this black mark, the girl has a clean disciplinary record
and good grades. She said she was too embarrassed to ask her male
teacher for permission to visit the main office to take the medicine.

While that was a reasonable excuse, the response from the Jefferson
County School System was not.

But that's the way of the zero-tolerance world now. System officials
said their hands are tied by the rules, which prohibit students from
possessing any prescription or over-the-counter medication.

So, instead of maybe a simple verbal reprimand for breaking what is
largely an inane rule, this bright, well-behaved student gets kicked
out for a month and sent to an alternative school.

Again and again, we see school officials handing out such heavy-handed
discipline for the least infractions - treating students who take
aspirin as if they were caught smoking crack.

And every time, they stand back and point to the rule book and say
they have no choice in the matter.

Aside from possibly violating students' rights to due process and
protection from cruel and unusual punishment, the zero-tolerance
policies in place in Alabama and across the nation have stripped all
responsibility from the very people who are paid to shoulder exactly
that duty.

School administrators and teachers must be reimpowered to use common
sense with regard to disciplinary issues.

It's the only fair thing to do for our students and our
schools.