HIGH SCHOOL DEFENDS ITS TWO POLICIES

The James Hargest High School board of trustees yesterday stood by its
decision to allow four boys to remain at the school after an indecent
assault while kicking out another for smoking cannabis.

Chairman Murray Frost, of Christchurch, broke his three-day silence after
the board reversed an earlier decision not to talk to reporters.

The Invercargill high school has been publicly criticised this week for the
apparent disparity in punishments it meted out to students involved in two
separate incidents.

The first, in May, involved an indecent assault on a 13-year-old third-form
girl during school time.

Her mother told The Southland Times the girl was tackled and pinned to the
ground by two boys.

Another boy held up her skirt while a fourth boy indecently assaulted her.

The boys stopped the assault only when other students intervened.

James Hargest stopped short of referring the boys to a disciplinary hearing
before the board, opting instead to stand down the boys for four days.

The matter was referred to police who warned the boys and made them write
letters of apology to the girl.

A month later, Scott Irvine, 14, was suspended then expelled after he
admitted smoking cannabis while he stood with a group of other students.

At the time, he was out of school uniform, away from the grounds and out of
school time.

Mr Frost said the board considered it was in the best interests of Scott
and James Hargest if he had a fresh start at another school.

He had set a "harmful example" by introducing other students to a drug they
had not experienced before, he said.

But the mother of the girl who was assaulted said her daughter's sexual
introduction to boys was more than harmful.

"It was a nasty, nasty experience" which her daughter had been physically
forced to participate in.

While it was likely teenagers would be introduced to cannabis in other
settings outside the school, it was unlikely girls would be subject to such
a horrific first-time sexual experience, she said.

Her daughter had received excellent support from the school's guidance
counsellors and was doing well academically.

But the school's playground policies had forced her to consider taking the
girl out of James Hargest, the mother said.

Several parents have contacted The Southland Times this week with stories
of drug use and dealing at James Hargest, including claims of students
being "high" during class.

Mr Frost admitted the board and staff probably did not know as much about
cannabis as many of the students.

The school had never considered it necessary to involve the police in
drug-related incidents at the school.

"We would like parents who have information to come forward."

Several people had sent e-mails and made contact with the school in support
of its stance, Mr Frost said.

But he admitted the support was sent on Tuesday.

None had been received since the indecent assault was reported.