KELVIN TEEN FIGHTS JUDGE

Order to speak in schools angers mom

A Winnipeg woman is furious with the justice system for giving her teenage
son a failing grade on an essay about drug use that a judge ordered him to
write, saying the case is an example of political correctness gone mad.

The woman, who can't be identified because her son is a convicted young
offender, is also angry that he may be forced to become a "poster child"
for drug awareness through a court-ordered public-speaking campaign.

"I don't agree with the loss of anonymity for him. Winnipeg is a small
city, and (the judge) has no right to do that kind of thing," she said
yesterday in an interview with the Free Press.

However, it's not clear whether the youth will have to go on a
public-speaking tour.

In light of his essay, which failed in the eyes of justice officials to
speak to the evils of drugs, the Crown has since brought forward an
application asking that the public-speaking requirement be dropped,
believing the youth wouldn't deliver an appropriate message.

Neil Kravetsky, the youth's lawyer, said he has always opposed having the
youth speak publicly about drug use but for a different reason. "It puts
him in a bad position, because everyone will be able to identify him as a
drug offender," said Kravetsky. He said one of the purposes of the Young
Offenders Act under which the teen was convicted is to provide youth with
anonymity.

Provincial court Judge Cathy Everett is expected to deal with the
public-speaking order once the essay issue is resolved.

The 18-year-old former student at Kelvin High School was arrested last year
in a high-profile undercover drug sweep at the school.

Everett had ordered the teen to write an essay with an anti-drug message,
then take it into local schools as the basis for a public-speaking campaign.

She criticized the teen this week after he submitted a 24-page essay that
includes steps on how to prevent medical problems while taking ecstasy,
tips for teens about limiting their drug intake, and even a plan for how to
use drugs safely.

Everett gave the teen an "F" for his efforts and ordered him to re-do the
essay and have it complete by the end of January or face further legal
sanctions. "You have completely missed the boat. I don't know if this was
intentional or not, but you have written a pro-ecstasy guide," she said in
court this week.

The teen's mother, however, believes the essay expressed her son's honest
feelings.

"He believes in telling the truth, and that's what he's done here.
Unfortunately he's still young, so he doesn't know how to kiss ass yet and
just say the right thing," said the boy's mother.

"He is a person who likes to stand up for their rights and always looks at
both sides of an issue. He thinks reality is better than fantasy."

Mom says her boy was ordered to write an essay about the dangers and risks
of ecstasy and "believes he did that."

"He said 'if you're going to do drugs, here's what you're in for.' He wrote
how to try and cope," she said.

"He did a lot of research on this, and he gave a dispassionate view."

The teen began his essay by saying "the message of abstinence does not work
and never will for one simple reason -- curiosity." He said a message of
"harm reduction" is the most important one, and went on to give young users
tips on how to avoid medical complications or even death from drug use. The
teen said he used the Internet and a European book on ecstasy to research
his paper.

His position on abstinence actually drew some mild support yesterday from
the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba.

Chief executive officer John Borody said beating a youth over the head with
a "don't do drugs" message is pointless.

"It's not a question of just saying N-O, but K-N-O-W, and I would tend to
agree with him on that," he said yesterday.

But he said the teen "has gone too far" in giving specific tips and ideas
on how to prevent harm while still doing drugs.

"It is promoting an illegal action," said Borody.

Meanwhile, his court-ordered speaking tour of at least eight Manitoba
schools is on hold. Mom says he is being severely punished for making "a
mistake."

"It was stupid, but he was new to the school, had only been there a few
days, met some kids and saw a quick chance to make a quick buck and didn't
really think about it," she said.

Borody applauded the judge yesterday for seeking out a unique sentence, but
said the teen shouldn't be forced into being a "poster child" for drug
awareness -- especially if it's a message he doesn't even believe in.

"I like the idea of a diversion, but we have found people who are forced
into treatment and rehabilitation don't have the kind of success that
people who willingly do so do," he said.

"Maybe what would have been helpful is if this kid was made to work in the
system with others who have used drugs to see the effects first-hand,
rather than going into schools to talk about it."